I'm a Hawkeye Guy

McLean Park, Napier. Saturday, July 6th, 1968

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HAWKES BAY 31, EAST COAST 0 (Half-time: 9 - 0)

 

For Hawkes Bay: Tom Johnson 2T, Mick Duncan 2T, Blair Furlong T, Doug Curtis T, Bill Davis T, Gary Condon T, Ian Bishop 2C & P

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Hawkes Bay: Ian Bishop, Dennis Smith (replaced by Doug Curtis), Bill Davis, Mick Duncan, Ian MacRae, Blair Furlong, Aidan Thomas, Tom Johnson, Gary Condon, Rod Abel, Kaaran Crawford, Kel Tremain, Neil Thimbleby, Gus Meech, Hilton Meech.

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East Coast: Ken Gilvray (Tokomaru Bay United), Martin Haua (Hikurangi), Arthur Cross (Waima), John Grayson (Tawhiti) replaced by Johnny Morice (Hikurangi), Murray Haisman (Tauwhareparae), Steven Waenga (Hicks Bay) replaced by David Skudda (Mata) Morgan Awarau (Tawhiti), Robert Penetito (Hicks Bay), Puni Nepe (Ruatoria City), John Manuel (Ngati), Barry Colbert (Tawhiti), Thomas Poi (Ruatoria United), Bill Stewart (Hikurangi), Ian MacDonald (Hicks Bay/captain), Rangituatini ‘Tene’ Henare (Te Araroa Wanderers)

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Referee: N (Noel) Scott (Wairarapa)  Crowd: 13,292  Net profit to HBRFU: $5,454.92

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“Looking at each game, I was particularly pleased with the opening defence against Bush, because it proved that Hawkes Bay could play wet weather rugby. I wasn’t so pleased with the way we went against East Coast.”

Colin Le Quesne (Shield ’68)

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The talking point of the week between the Bush and East Coast matches, turned from the lowly rated side from the Eastern Bay’s who would try their luck next at wrestling the prized Ranfurly Shield from the grips of the holder, to very much being about what Marlborough had done to the French in the tour opener on Wednesday. The tourists shaky defeat in Blenheim by 19 – 24, had sent shock waves as far reaching as Napier.

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Marlborough – a province severely restricted in senior playing strength – defied the odds against the tourists and turned in a unified performance with a ‘businesslike’ approach, which left the tourists looking back on the match with distress and ahead to the rest of the tour with a good degree of anxiety.

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The French appeared to lack organisation, played the match in a rather single-minded fashion and as their tactical errors mounted up, the home side took full advantage. There were several substantial ‘dust-ups’, with blows exchanged willingly and fiercely, which did not help the French cause as they continued to be ineffective and undisciplined, especially when behind on the scoreboard.

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The East Coast were to be lambs to the slaughter and everyone knew it. Marlborough, on the other hand, had already started a shield campaign of their own and news of this future onslaught had already reached the good folk of the Bay, made all the more poignant by their victory against the current five nation’s champions.

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The East Coast side had recently returned from a four match tour of the lower North Island, with loses recorded against all unions as follows; Bush at Pahiatua (0-8), Wairarapa at Masterton (3-38), Horowhenua at Levin (0-6) and Manawatu at Palmerston North (9-34). After their shield challenge, the season would only get worse for them, losing all eleven outings, culminating in a 8-72 loss at home in Tokomaru Bay against Counties on September 11th.

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The team was led by hooker, Ian McDonald, a veteran of over 160 first class games, having also represented Thames Valley and Taranaki. The 34 year old McDonald had received both a North Island trial and an All Black trial in his lengthy career.

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33 year old Bill Stewart had captained the combined Poverty Bay-East Coast side against the touring British Lions of 1966 and for he and John Grayson, the 6-9 loss must certainly have been a career high light. Arthur Cross and Martin Haua had played for the aforementioned combined unions against the 1965 Springboks, won by the tourists in their first match in New Zealand by 32-3.

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On the morning of the match, the Hawkes Bay players – breaking with tradition – left their hotel and went to watch club matches, scheduled an earlier start than normal owing to the Shield challenge. Neil Armstrong – a reserve for the big game later – turned out for his club side, Hastings. No matter how they tried to prepare for the match, the players found it difficult to mentally get past the hurdle that it was all going to be too easy.

 

And to Colin Le Quesne’s disappointment, that attitude was taken onto the park. Later, Kel Tremain would also comment that this had been their ‘worst shield performance so far’.

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Following all the rain of the previous week or so, McLean Park had dried out remarkably. There were a few patches devoid of grass but the surface was perfect for play. The wind had died away, the sun had come out and memories of 1967 returned once more. But that is where comparisons stop! The fire and zest which this team had become renowned for was certainly missing on this afternoon.

 

All the pundits were right and the speculation of the majority spot on; Hawkes Bay murdered East Coast. The margin of victory – 31 points – was a record for the current tenure. It was the first time the opposition had failed to score at all. The eight tries scored by the Bay were also the most racked up in nine challenges. The amount of quality possession received was nigh on embarrassing and the ease with which many of the tries were scored, almost in training ground fashion, was borderline farcical. Even Ian Bishop was having an off day, only managing to convert two of the tries.

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Tom Johnson was one Magpie to give a very good account of himself and he crossed the East Coast line twice, as did Mick Duncan. Gary Condon scored his first try of the shield series, following big forward surges by Rod Abel and Karaan Crawford. Doug Curtis also dotted down for the first time, after coming on to replace Dennis Smith. Bill Davis scored his obligatory try and right near the games conclusion, Blair Furlong lay under the posts for his first try of 1968.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Left) Doug Curtis scores his first try in Ranfurly Shield rugby, rounding East Coast full-back, Ken McGilvray to score. In Bishop and Coast centre, Arthur Cross follow the action. (Right, top) Gary Condon also scores for the first time during the Magpie tenure and (bottom) Mick Duncan scores the first of his two tries in the match.

 

 

 

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More scoring action from the East Coast challenge. (Left) Tom Johnson walks in his second for the afternoon and (top right) Mick Duncan also adds a second while (bottom) Bill Davis get in on the scoring action.

 

 

*****

 

In other matches played on this day, Bush, beaten the week before in the Napier mud, earned themselves a resounding 12 – 5 win over the Wairarapa in Eketahuna. Canterbury trounced Wellington in Christchurch by 25-9, King Country defeated their southern boundary neighbours, Wanganui – in Wanganui - by 17-8. In Auckland, the home side was beaten by North Auckland 6-14, while Buller recorded a win over Nelson in Westport by the narrowest of margins, 14-13.

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*****

 

On the same afternoon in Dunedin, the French were putting right the wrongs of their tour opener as they dispatched Otago at Carisbrook by 12 – 6. The three try to two victory was indeed meritorious, with Otago rightly regarded as one of New Zealand’s stronger provincial unions.

 

At Blenheim in the tour opener, the French forwards were a ‘floating population’. At Carisbrook they marched together and played with an explosive vigour. Possibly a little too explosive, as the Otago Union would complain post match about the brutal tactics of the French forwards, the home side finishing the match with only thirteen players on the park, four of them having to leave the field in the second spell.

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A spinal injury to prop Lindsay Clark the most serious – stretchered off and taken straight to hospital - complete with allegations of kicking and foul play by the tourists in rucks and mauls. Second five eighth, Duncan Robertson was forced to retire hurt following a dangerous and late tackle by flanker Claude Chenevay and the French backs were involved in several other late and stiff arm tackles.

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But for all this, the French backs played with real purpose and turned a 3-6 half-time deficit into a fine victory. The three-quarters (with Jean-Marie Bonal scoring twice and Andre Campaes claiming the other try) had just about everything over their opposites; pace, imagination and fleet footed deception. As a team, they showed enough to suggest that they would be no pushover for the All Blacks and they believed that if their forwards could gain 50% possession in the test matches, the backs could have enough enterprise to win the series.

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Following the match in Dunedin, with Brian Lochore unavailable for the first test, Kel Tremain was appointed as captain of the All Blacks, the first time he had been given this honour (in a test match) in his already lengthy and remarkable rugby career. His immaculate leadership of Hawkes Bay gave him the edge over Chris Laidlaw, who had been largely criticized over his captaincy during the All Blacks last test outing, a scrappy 19-18 victory over Australia in Brisbane.

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*****

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On Tuesday, July 9th, the French turned a 0-6 half-time scoreline into an 8-6 victory over a very gallant Southland side in Invercargill. A barrage of up-and-under’s sent panic through the French ranks in the first spell, with Allan Blackler, Colin Hay and Doug Nicol employing the tactic – with Southlands forwards at full charge – as the single method of attack.

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The French failure to deal with this gave Southland the highest hopes that the rugged test of simplicity would win them the match. But by not changing their game plan one iota and with the French eventually coming to grips with the high kicks (principally by moving first half full-back, Claude Lacaze into first five eighth for the second half), the tourists gained rather more sense of control.

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However it had been noted and commented upon religiously in the press that the most blatant weakness of the French rugby team – approaching the first test match - was its hesitancy, even reluctance, to deal effectively with the ball in the air and on the ground.

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Two tries in the second half to Joseph Maso and Jean-Pierre Salut (to two first half penalties by Doug Nicol for Southland) eventually earned the victory for France, the two point winning margin being the conversion of one of the tries by Claude Lacaze.

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*****

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The following Saturday, July 13th, Hawkes Bay played and beat the Wairarapa in Masterton by 6 – 0, courtesy of a Doug Curtis try and an Ian Bishop penalty. With one eye on the forthcoming Bay match against France – now only seven days away - Le Quesne rested other key personnel, Furlong and Condon (although Condon came on to replace Tom Johnson). This meant starts for Bruce Albert, Neil Armstrong John Dougan, Robbie Stuart and Jeff Brownlie.

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*****

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Davis, MacRae and Tremain were on duty for the All Blacks who defeated France in the first test match in Christchurch by 12 – 9, courtesy of a try in the final minute of play to Earle Kirton, who had become the first All Black first five-eighth to play in seven consecutive test matches since WWII. 

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Whatever arguments were put forward regarding the French and their relatively poor performances on tour before this match were all but eradicated, as they became instantly focused and physically capable in engaging the rigours of test match rugby. The effort of the French forwards was muscular and unremitting as, of course, it had to be to hold the New Zealand pack.

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In a sea of mud that was Lancaster Park, this was not a great test match, but certainly an absorbing one. No fewer than 36 penalties were dished out by Dunedin referee, Dave Millar and had Fergie McCormick been able to convert more than three of the ten kicks at goal he was given, the margin of victory would surely have been more comfortable. But with resolute determination, the French held in there right to the final whistle and were unlucky to have been beaten in the fashion they were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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*****

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Ian MacRae is tackled by French half-back, Marcel Puget, during the first test in Christchurch. Support is arriving from Magpie colleague and captain for the test, Kel Tremain and his would be captaincy contender, Chris Laidlaw, now of Canterbury.

 

*****

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On the following Wednesday, July 17th, France really hit their straps for the first time on tour, defeating Taranaki in New Plymouth by 21 points to 6. Comprising six past, present or future All Blacks in their pack, the Taranaki forwards were confident that they could dictate terms to their French counterparts (especially as they were resting most of their test pack) and in most capacity’s of the game they did.

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But the French backs were swift and sublime and  - to their detriment – Taranaki did not move the ball wide till half way through the second half. Neil Wolfe and Jim Irving were guilty of kicking away much of the hard fought possession won by the home side, especially dominant at line out time, with Ian Eliason souring to gain many clean two handed takes.

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By contrast the French centres, Jean-Pierre Lux and Claude Dourthe were incisive and enterprising in creating three tries and therefore the winning of the match. For the touring party, this was a new peak on tour, a match which brought forwards and backs together as a bold composite mural. It was also timely for them, as next up were the Ranfurly Shield holders, Hawkes Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Eliason (with ball) drives through the French pack in the match against Taranaki in New Plymouth. In support are John Major, Brian Muller and Dennis Wards (9).

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*****

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#1 song in New Zealand: 5-11 July, 1968. Lazy Sunday (Small Faces)

 

 

 

 

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