10. Munich & Beyond
And in Wellington, Nectar was named in the programme as half-back for Wellington’s game against Taranaki, with Darcy at standoff. But still injured, Dougan was unable to take his place, so Dave Henderson was brought up from the reserves to start in the 9 shirt and Nectar moved out to first five-eighth.
As it turned out, they were the two dominant figures in the match; Henderson’s direction of play was first class and Stevens handled almost faultlessly on a slippery surface and continually kept Wellington moving forward with his clever play and grubber kicks.
For the most part, Henderson was content to play back to his forwards, use the blindside or set Nectar up for the line kick, which he also did with unusual power and accuracy.
Steady rain had fallen throughout the curtain-raiser, turning what looked to be a firm Athletic Park into a slippery surface. A disappointing crowd of just 4,000 had shown up to watch the game, also ‘Old Timers Day’.
The Lions were 7-0 up after just ten minutes, Karam landing an easy penalty to open the scoring and then Batty capitalising on an error from Francis Hill to race 25 metres and score. Clock extended the lead to 10-0 with a 40 metre penalty after 18 minutes and Wellington appeared to be coasting. But right on half-time, Fred Harris scored for Taranaki after a break by Murray Kidd.
(Left) Dave Henderson clears from a scrum during the Wellington-Taranaki match, with Andy Leslie awaiting the result. (Right) Batts scores the second of his tries early in the second half of the match against Taranaki.
Taranaki’s expected forward dominance never eventuated, although through Ian Eliason and John Thwaites, they won the line-out count by 10-5.
Al Keown, Denis Waller, Gareth Head and Dave Martin climbed into their work for the hosts. Andy Leslie won a good deal of ball at the back of the line-out and on the day, had much the better of his opposite, new AB Alistair Scown.
Keown was swift to the breakdown and all wrenching power once he got there. His club mate, Waller was vigorous, fast to the second phase also and Head - as he had been for the past couple of seasons - was the key tight forward, his devotion to clearing good ruck ball playing a major role in the eventuality or outcome, usually a try to Wellington.
Graham Williams covering and disruptive tackling played a major role in the victory and Paul Barrett - winning the tight-head battle by 3-1 - continued to prove an under-estimated and diligent hooker, with few peers, often emerging last from the ruck.
Batty and Gray were both outstanding, but the Wellington backs in general were far too snappy for the visitors. In the play of the match, three minutes after the half-time resumption, Twig and Gray started a move which ended with Batts scoring his second try, the result of one of the many attempts by the home side to run the ball through the backs, which hadn’t been a great success to that point with the greasy ball. Clock’s sideline conversion put Wellington out to 16-6.
Robert Gray had the last say following Leslie breaking clear and handing on to Waller, to Noel Hawkins, to Twig, whose timed pass to the flying winger was judged to perfection, crashing through to score in the tackle of Kidd.
The press had noted that Gray would have been amongst the first to shake Twig by the hand after the match.
“Sayers passing gives his outsides an extra yard in which to move and he also impressed with his tackling and the alert manner in which he swooped on a couple of sloppy Taranaki passes.”
Wellington-Hawkes Bay match programme, 1972
Joe Karam had a mixed day, once caught because of hesitancy and failing to find touch on a couple of occasions (one leading to the Harris try). But he kicked two fine goals, took the ball with assurance and in the main, kicked for the line with skill.
​
**********
​
August 26th, 1972 is synonymous with another event that piqued my interest, the Opening Ceremony of the Munich Olympic Games. I must have missed all the action from Mexico ’68, I don’t recall anything about it at all actually, but the build up to Munich from about June had me at a level of understanding of what was going to go down (sporting wise) and I was pretty excited about a global sporting event.
The 1972 Munich (Germany) Olympic Games; 26th August-September 11th. 121 countries, 7,134 athletes, 195 events. The Munich games were the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after the 1936 games in Berlin, which had taken place under the Nazi Regime. The West German Government had been eager to have the Munich Olympics present a democratic and optimistic Germany to the world, as shown by the Games' official motto, "Die Heiteren Spiele", or "the Cheerful Games".
​
"We were essentially only doing live radio news and sports commentaries back then. TV coverage only went on to videotape. Over the years many people have told me they recall watching live TV coverage of the famous rowing eight gold medal but that's not correct. We had to package up the videotape out to Munich airport to connect with the only flight per week from London to Auckland."
Keith Quinn, NZ Herald, 2008
​
During the first four days of the event, there were no track and field events, but competition began for most sports on either the 27th or 28th. Perhaps the most spectacular athletic events were in swimming, where American, Mark Spitz, had a spectacular run, lining up for seven events, winning seven Olympic titles and setting seven world records.
​
**********
​
Currently touring New Zealand, the Australian rugby side would have been buoyed by the performance of one of their women swimmers, Shane Gould, her won herself three golds, one silver and one bronze, albeit that her accomplishments were somewhat overshadowed by Spitz’s incredible achievements.
They themselves, on the 29th, had the biggest win of their tour, putting Nelson Bays to the sword, racking up seven tries in a 36-7 win. A timely morale booster, the second test just four days away.
The All Black team had been named for the second test following the Australian-Hawkes Bay match in Napier on August 26th, the Chairman of the selection panel, Ivan Vodanovich, announcing that there would be no changes.
It was anticipated that there would be just the one switch-out, Bob Burgess coming back in for John Dougan. But Burgess was still ill, so Darce was retained. Unfortunately, still injured himself, he had to withdraw from the team midweek.
Phil Gard was the five-eighth cover in the reserves for test match one, but wanting a specialist in the position when replacing Dougan, the selectors called in…Lyn Jaffray? Not the Canterbury wonder boy, Doug Bruce, or even Phil Peacocke who, was preferred over Bruce by the South Island selectors. Brian Going even. Even his club mate Nectar Stevens had been doing a grand job lately of filling in at stand-off.
Before the Saturday, Bruce Robertson would also pull out with injury, being replaced by Graham Sims, in his second season with Otago and a standout on the New Zealand under 23 team's tour of Australia earlier in the year. He’d also played for the South Island and for NZ Universities against the touring “Grizzlies”.
Jaffray’s subsequent performance was described as ‘adequate’, allowances made for his age (22) and it being his first test match.
The All Black performance, even given a 30-17 victory, was not as impressive as in the first test either. The forwards were equally as dominant, but with Robertson injured, there were questions asked of his replacement, Sims and also Mike Parkinson inside him.
Graham Sims' had considerable potential as a wing or centre, but unfortunately carried a shoulder injury into the match and was not able to do his selection the justice it or he deserved.
​
Kirky takes a tumble, assisted by Aussie's Jeff McLean and Garrick Fay. Alistair Scown supports his skipper. Second test action.
​
It would be his only test appearance for New Zealand. His distribution to the wings - Williams in particular - was ‘substandard’ and rallying in the second spell, in an attempt to keep the series alive, the All Black backs were completely overshadowed by their counterparts.
The best back on the field was the Australian centre, Dave Burnett, who made several clean breaks through the new All Black midfield pairing. His decisive play and enterprise resulted in his wingers, Jeff McLean (2) and John Cole, scoring tries for the tourists.
Coming from 4-24 down at the break, the ‘woefuls’ put in a courageous, entertaining and first-rate effort, their finest 40 of the tour, in actual fact winning the second half by 13-6.
​
**********
​
But even if the AB’s had won 100-0 and scored a million tries, their method or margin of victory would always have paled by comparison on this day to events which played out at the Regattastrecke Oberschleißheim, near Munich.
After qualifying first in heat 2 (of 3) earlier in the week, with a time of 6:06:19, just 18 seconds slower than the American’s, the New Zealand 8’s had qualified for the second semi-final of rowing’s glamour event.
They finished second behind the West German’s, but their time of 6:28:40 was slower than the three qualifiers from semi-final 1; East Germany, Soviet Union and the United States. They’d done enough though, to qualify for Final A on Saturday, September 2nd.
The United States had been so dominant in the coxed eights in recent times, that their victory was often assumed, as was the case with the Olympic final. They did finish with the fastest time in the opening round, but only barely ahead of the New Zealanders, whom most eyes were on as reigning World and European champions. And the kiwi’s had sent their 1971 European crew to Munich. The other major players were East Germany, the Soviet Union and the defending Olympic champion, West Germany.
In the final, however, it became obvious that the New Zealander’s had merely been foxing and their poor time in the semi was just a roos for conserving their strength. They took control of the race quickly and won the gold medal comfortably, leaving the United States and East Germany to battle for the remaining podium spots. In an exciting finish, the Americans managed to edge out the East Germans by an incredibly slim margin of 0.06 seconds to take silver.
The names of Tony Hurt, Wybo Veldman, Dick Joyce, John Hunter, Lew Wilson, Joe Earl, Trevor Coker, Gary Robertson and Simon Dickie would forever go down amongst those of New Zealand’s most celebrated sporting hero’s.
For Simon Dickie and Dick Joyce, both affiliated with the Wellington Rowing Club, it was a second gold medal, having previously won in Mexico in the Men’s Coxed Fours. As the 8’s were talk of the town, it is often forgotten that the NZ Men’s Coxless Fours (Dick Tonks, Dudley Storey, Ross Collinge and Noel Mills) also won Silver that same evening in Munich.
Gold for the New Zealand Rowing Eight at Munich, the only occasion kiwi's were on the gold podium in 1972.
​
Three days later, all the elation and joy of the 8’s gold medal success was cut short by what must surely be the darkest hour in Olympic Games history; The Munich massacre.
At 4:30 am local time on 5 September, as the athletes slept, eight tracksuit-clad members of the Black September faction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, carrying duffel bags loaded with AKM assault rifles, Tokareva pistols and grenades, scaled a 2-metre (61⁄2 ft) chain-link fence into the Olympic village.
Once inside, the group used stolen keys to enter two apartments being used by the Israeli team at Connollystraße 31. Wrestling coach, Moshe Weinberg and weightlifter, Yossef Romano were both shot dead during hand-to-hand combat with the terrorists.
Following these altercations, the gunmen were left with nine hostages; Yossef Gutfreund (wrestling referee), Kehat Shorr (sharpshooting coach), Amitzur Shapira (track and field coach), Andre Spitzer (fencing master) Yakov Springer (weightlifting judge), Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin (wrestlers) and weightlifters David Berger and Ze’ev Friedman.
Shortly after the hostages were taken, Black September commander Luttif Afif, demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails, including Andreas Baader and Ulrike Minehof, the West German-held founders of the Red Army Faction. The hostage-takers threw the body of Weinberg out of the front door of the residence to demonstrate their resolve. Israel's response was immediate and absolute: there would be no negotiation.
At 6 pm Munich time, the Palestinians issued a new dictate, demanding transportation to Cairo, Egypt, which the authorities feigned agreement to. They preceded the Black Septemberist’s and hostages in a third helicopter, with an ulterior motive; they planned an armed assault at the airport.
A fierce gun battle proceeded between West German Police, snipers and the kidnappers and while the bullets rained, the hostages - bound together inside a helicopter - desperately tried to free themselves.
As West German armoured personnel carriers arrived, the terrorists, possibly panicking at the shift of status quo and the thought that their operation might fail, opened fire from point blank range on the hostages with assault rifles.
An image that would haunt the world via international television pictures. Looking like a scene from Doctor Who, a terrorist surveys the area around building 31 Connollystrasse.
Springer, Halfin and Friedman were killed instantly. Berger, shot twice in the leg, is believed to have survived the initial onslaught (as his autopsy later found that he had died of smoke inhalation). The principal attacker then pulled the pin on a hand grenade and tossed it into the cockpit. The ensuing explosion destroyed the helicopter and incinerated the bound Israelis inside.
Five of the eight Black September members were killed during the failed rescue attempt. Anton Fliegerbauer, a West German policeman in the control tower, was killed by crossfire.
The three surviving perpetrators, Adnan and Jamal Al-Gashey and Mohammed Safady, were arrested, but following the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615 a month later the West German government released them in a hostage exchange. The Israeli government launched ‘Operation Wrath of God’, which authorised Mossad (the national intelligence agency of Israel) to track down and kill those involved in the Munich massacre.
Back home in Aoteroa, Auckland muscled up to Canterbury in their first defence of the log o’ wood. Or rather they didn’t muscle up. The Cantabs won the rather dour encounter by 12-6 and Auckland’s 10 day tenure was quite close to the shortest ever with the prized trophy. Unfortunately, Wellington held that record; six days in 1963.
The Capital viewpoint of the scenario differs slightly though, the union regarding itself as being the most expansive in the country when it comes to sharing the shield around. Unfortunately, this would still be the case in 1974, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
Ironically, had North Auckland been successful in defending the shield against Auckland, Canterbury would have been the next challenger and - while hypothetical - Canterbury won that encounter by 19-14, so presumably would have got the log back either way.
Equally ironically, had Auckland beaten Canterbury, they would have had to defend the shield against Wellington four days later on September 9th and Wellington won that game handsomely by 28-6. Immaterial really, the shield was back in Christchurch. The great news for Otago supporters was that, providing Canterbury could get past lowly-rated West Coast, they would have the last challenge for 1972.
Against Auckland, Canterbury played the sort of rugby for which it is traditionally famous; dedicated, purposeful, the type of rugby which wins shield matches against anything less. This indomitable spirit was exemplified by Kerry Tanner, who played in spite of a raging fever, his temperature rumoured to have been 102.
With these UK spots up for grabs and the contest heating up, Lin Davis had played well, in spite of a lack of protection in the line-outs, but Doug Bruce was the real success of the backline, with his cool, heady play in difficult situations. He had also scored the only try of the game.
In the scrums, Canterbury enjoyed success against the heavier Auckland pack. The solidarity of Billy Bush and Tanner and the thrust imparted by Ron Lockwood and Hamish MacDonald helped Tane Norton to score yet another triumph over his main All Black rival, Ron Urlich, taking four tightheads to one.
Grizz and the rest of the Canterbury boys look well satisfied with themselves, having wrested the log from the Auk's. All bar Kerry Tanner that is.
Grizz had only a few opportunities for his crunching runs, but Stu Cron and John Phillips always positioned themselves splendidly in support and made capital of Auckland’s dithering’s behind the scrum.
Others who were candidates for that all-important coming peregrination, mainly those in the backline, had scant opportunities to show their wares, as the pill rarely travelled past either No. 10. These included BeeGee Williams (although an automatic selection) and Dave Palmer, on the other wing for the Auk’s and Cantab hopefuls Duncan Hales and the quickly rising through the ranks, Ian Archibald Hurst (27/08/1951-).
“Archie” Hurst had first appeared in representative rugby for North Otago in 1970, at the time still in the 1st XV at Waitaki Boys High School. Although he made his Canterbury XV debut in 1971 (against South Canterbury) while attending Lincoln College, he remained in relative obscurity, not even considered for the Junior All Black tour to Australia in May.
After appearing for NZ Universities against the “Grizzlies”, he forced his way into the Canterbury team for a match against Wairarapa-Bush on Lancaster Park and by the shield match (just over a month later), he was the regular choice centre.
A strong game in the shield win would see him earn a place in the coming All Black trial, somewhat a surprise choice ahead of other more obvious candidates. But Canterbury were on a roll!
​
**********
​
The Wellington team was also on the ascend though, it must be said. Since the loss to Otago in Dunedin on August 20th, they’d beaten Southland, Taranaki and on September 2nd, Hawkes Bay at the Park.
The team was pretty much the same side defeated by Auckland in July; beaten to the loose ball, out-gunned in the scrums and rucks, struggling for controlled line-out ball and bumbling in the backline.
The turnaround in recent times had certainly been impressive, timely and hopefully, ultimately fortuitous when it came to the naming of the Blacks for Pomgolia. One had to go back to August 10th, 1968 (the 3rd test at Auckland against France) to find an All Black side which took the field with more than one Wellingtonian amongst its ranks (that day Ken Gray and Noddy Stephens).
But the 31-3 win meant back-to-back success against the Magpies, whom they’d beaten just once since the mid-60’s, the first at Rugby HQ since 1966. It was true, the Bay had lost the glamour of the shield-holding colossus sides of the late 60’s, but the thrill of triumph over the Aussies was still fresh and hopes were high.
There were elements in the Hawkes Bay performance against the tourists which gave promise of some sort of return to those great days, rather more rapidly than most of the home crowd would have expected. Much of the work in the forwards was authoritative, rucking of the kind which presented the Magpies with so much ball during their shield reign.
The fervour amongst the forwards offered the greatest encouragement, the hard attitudes of Robbie Stuart, Hilton Meech, Graham Wiig and Ian Grant, the outstanding promise of Tim Carter and Mike McCool. Behind them, the tactical dominance of Aidan Thomas and Geoff Martin…crucial factors in the Bays win against the Aussies.
But not so repeated on Athletic Park, the scoreline the most one-sided between the two unions for many a year. Graham Williams, Gareth Head, Grant Batty and Mark Sayers scored tries for the hosts, Karam converting three and kicking three penalties.
Mark Sayers 1972
A week later, Wellington were at Eden Park for that ‘would-have-been’ shield challenge and in this purple patch of form, they took the Auk’s apart as they had done the Bay. Again they scored four tries; Batty (2), Robert Gray and Andy Leslie (Clock Karam 2C, 2P). Auckland, it must be said, were still recovering from their torrid duel with Canterbury just four days prior and in many ways, were ripe for the picking.
But in a stirring display of capital rugby, Wellington so out-witted, out-ran and out manoeuvred the hapless Aucklander’s that their press and critics had Batty, Karam, Stevens, Cleland and Sayers all fringing around All Black selection - and that was just in the backs!
​
Mark 'Twiggy' Sayers. Could he possibly make the 1972/73 United Kingdom tour?
​
Blessed with a superbly long pass from Dave Henderson, the Wellington backs were much more assertive than their hosts, especially Nectar, who played so well at first five-eighth that it appeared he had wasted a career thus far as a half-back.
He added a final superb touch with a blindside grubber kick, which Batts turned into his second try. The diminutive flyer had been ‘full of ginger’, but not just on this occasion. Having had an outstanding season all round, Batts was as near a certainty for the tour party as one could get.
In the past few weeks, pencils had also scribbled down the name ‘Karam’ as a tour possibility. Like Batts, the young lad was just twenty years of age, but had come on in leaps and bounds throughout 1972, finally showing the potential he had displayed as a youngster in the Silverstream 1st XV.
So methodical was his goal-kicking and touch-finding ability, to have him in one’s side was said to ‘have a feeling of security akin to having money in the bank’. Hence the nickname ‘Clock’.
The victory and manner of it, in front of at least one of the national selectors, had done the Twig a timely favour or two as well. He was outstanding, both on attack and defence, the latter having been most called into question by his sceptics, when calling him the ‘complete’ footballer.
But keen for that plane ticket, his defence in this encounter is probably what played him into at least a national trial on September 23rd. Spearheaded by him, Wellington produced a flying defensive wedge aimed at Gary Weinberg and Ken Carrington in midfield, cutting the backline in half and isolating the danger man (BeeGee) on the left wing, forcing either Mike Richards or Weinberg to kick.
Weinberg himself was not quick enough to outwit the onrushing defence and Auckland’s lack-lustre backs could not produce the variations that would break Sayers crippling grip on the dangerous three-quarters, rendering them near useless.
He had long been regarded a true thinker of the game, was undoubtedly talented and at 25, an experienced campaigner. Had his time come?
There were Wellington forwards also who must surely have been pencilled in to the reckoning after some solid displays over the past six weeks. Andy Leslie; Graham Williams, Al Keown and Gareth Head particularly.
Few Aucklander’s emerged from the match with similar credit. Pole Whiting and young Andy Haden had won the line-out count by 28-16, but the visiting forward pack were far too crafty and vigorous in the rucks and supremely confident in their thundering rushes with ball in hand.
​
A bit of niggle in the Auckland match at Eden Park. Al Keown looks to be the better boxer.
​
Bruce Gemmell (as annoying to me as Lyn Davis, getting in Nectar’s way regarding higher honours selection) and Mike Richards (same reason), kicked frequently, too frequently, considering it the only method that Auckland could find to move ahead.
The thrashing was Wellington’s biggest winning margin against Auckland on Eden Park for 17 years. Yes, if provincial form was anything to go by - and for many years folk had often declared the trial system a complete waste of time, with some fairly sound reasoning - there should be a raft of Wellington representatives in the 68 players chosen to trial.
And there was one more opportunity for them all to impress before the trial teams were officially named and that was the following Saturday (also the day of the third test), on Athletic Park against Waikato.
And Waikato themselves were dealing to the ‘woeful’s’, on the same afternoon that Wellington were destroying the Auk’s. And while I’d been a little concerned at Gemmell, I was concerned also to watch on tele, the Junior All Black, Kevin Greene, play so well. As did ‘Butch’ Pickrang, the Mooloo equivalent of Clock Karam.
Two others impressed for Waikato and did their own chances of trial participation, at least, no harm. Substantially rehabilitating himself after an unfortunate match for the North Island in July, Paul Anderson knocked over many Wallabies, crowded the backline and backed up with ferocious energy. He also scored a fine opportunist try, following some uncontrolled tap-back line-out ball (which plagued the Aussies).
Two minutes later, George Skudder - who had so dramatically come into New Zealand rugby, scored a test match try and was then (far too prematurely) turned back to pasture - charged down a clearing kick and raced away to score also. Skudder had been most impressive throughout, in fact, he had been in grand form all season. As well as his try, individually brilliant, he had made a couple of scything runs through the Wallabies.
Waikato had played well and deserved their 26-24 win. The forward effort was solid, aggressive and well sustained. Cover defences were excellent. Had they been prepared to exploit the potentialities of the three-quarters more, the win may have been a good deal wider.
They would offer Wellington a stern challenge the following Saturday at the Park, after which time the make-up of those chosen to trial for the seventh All Blacks would be known.
**********
After arriving in New Plymouth with the King Country side, Colin Meads told the press that he was still making his mind up as to whether or not he would be available for the tour.
At 36, he said it largely depended on his fitness and his financial situation. He admitted that his own play had been ‘a bit up and down’ since returning to active rugby, following a farm accident where he broke his back and some ribs.
“There’s a lot to go into,” Piney said. “I would like to go on every All Black tour for the next twenty years if it were physically possible!”
​
Colin Meads and Graham Whiting, King Country versus Wairarapa-Bush on August 26th.
Meads eventually announced that he would not be available for the tour, with which information the press offered an overworked and convenient piece of journalism; “end of an era”.
But in this instance it was most appropriately used, for without ‘Pinetree’ Meads at the New Zealand trials, a very great era, a huge chapter in All Black rugby had indeed, come to a close.
​
**********
​
The Olympic Games had been going on while all this was happening. And while we revelled in the individual achievements of Mark Spitz and “the Sparrow from Minsk”, Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut (herself picking up three golds and a silver medal), the tragedy that was the death of nine Israeli athletes hung over the games like a giant black shroud.
The rowers had done us proud and New Zealander’s had their moment in the spotlight and a reason to raise a glass and toast the success of our most modest heroes. But for Kiwi’s, the Olympic torch would burn brightly again for some unexpected glory, when Nelson born athlete, Rodney Phillip ‘Rod’ Dixon (13/07/1950-), won bronze in the track and field glamour event, the Men’s 1500 metre race.
Rod Dixon was arguably the most versatile runner ever produced by New Zealand. The colourful 21 year old had turned up in Munich, only his second trip outside of the country, ranked 47th in the world over the distance.
In his heat were legend and world record-holder, Jim Ryun and the defending Olympic champion, Kenyan Kipchoge Keino. Only the first two would qualify for the semi-final and virtually no-one, not even in his homeland, gave Dixon any chance at all of getting through.
But Ryun tripped and fell, brushing against Dixon’s calf as he went down. The New Zealander finished the heat running stride for stride with Keino, not only qualifying for the semi-final, but shaving over 2 1/2 seconds off his own personal best time.
The semi-finals were of course much stronger fields, featuring several excellent European runners such as Brendan Foster (England) and Pekka Vasala (Finland), but it was Dixon who registered the fastest time with 3m 37.9s.
Arthur Lydiard and Bill Baillie spoke to Dixon in the village before the final, offering encouragement through self-belief. 8’s rower, Athol Earl allowed him to hold his medal. Dixon had a basic race plan; to key in on Kip Keino and to use his strength to ensure that the third lap would be tough.
110 metres out he felt good and that things were going okay, until Mike Boit of Kenya went past him and pushed him back to fourth. Dixon ran wide around the bend, passed Boit and was back in medal contention.
“Up the home straight, I realised that while I would never catch Vasala, I was gaining on the great Keino. I finished the race with my arms thrust in the air in triumph. There’s a world of difference between third and fourth!”
Rod Dixon. olympic.org.nz
Wearing 688 and wearing the white fern of New Zealand, Rod Dixon powers his way to an unexpected bronze medal in the Olympic Games 1500m final, rejuvenating interest in track and field across the country. The gold medal winner was Pekka Vasala of Finland (226).
Saturday, September 16th, 1972. Last chance for all around the rugby traps to impress.
In Auckland, it was the third and final test against the Australians. One would expect, as current All Blacks and against such inferior opposition, one would literally have to play themselves out of the touring side, to not be considered a certainty to board the plane.
Without a Wellingtonian amongst the team or reserves, there was a lot to prove for that province in their match against Waikato the same afternoon. Similarly, the Mooloo men had felt the same about being left out in the cold regarding recent national selection policies, although they did have the NZ Universities and NZ Colt utility back, Greg Kane, in the reserves (second and third tests).
Kane had also been a Tauranga cricket representative in 1970/71 and represented Waikato at the NZAAA championships in 1972 as a javelin thrower.
Almost unbelievably, even the great Canterbury side had but two run-on AB’s in Hales and Norton, so there were a couple of others who were hoping that tales of their Herculean feats in the Ranfurly Shield match against the West Coast, again the same afternoon, may filter through to the ears of national prominence.
Otago had also enjoyed a most successful season, but felt aggrieved with their lot in the All Black squad, although for the final test, they had the most provincial representation with four, although two of them - Lin Colling and Lyn Jaffray - were in the reserves.
Three changes to the All Blacks from the second test and all of them absolutely major. All returning from illness or injury; to my delight, Bob Burgess, to my absolute delight, Bruce Robertson and to my euphoric delight, Keith Murdoch. God. Lets hope Keefy fronts this time!
​
**********
​
Important notebook entry; New Zealand’s first ever rugby test match broadcast live!
Despite the fact that it was the first test match broadcast live in this country, a record crowd turned up (43,000) for a New Zealand-Australia test match at Eden Park. The ground itself was firm and in perfect order for running rugby, but as is often the case in Auckland, a shower passed over during the first spell.
The All Black forwards were at times bordering on magnificent, their overwhelming power and physique too much for the opposition and laying the platform for victory. Kirky, Pole, Keefy, Sutherland and Strahan were in another league to the constantly under siege Wallabies.
It was indicative of the worth of the All Black forwards that they contributed four of the six tries, Kirky, Sutherland and Pole Whiting having scored tries in each of the three tests. Alistair Scown’s pace took him to the ball metres ahead of any other All Black forward and the strength of Murdoch and Jeff Matheson was of immense value.
It's a try for Keefy Murdoch, third test against Australia in Auckland. Sam Strachan and Tane Norton raise arms in triumph.
​
But, until the final ten minutes when the AB’s rattled on 12 points, the backline had been overwhelmingly disappointing. Trevor Morris’ positional play was sound, but his goal kicking was erratic. Mike Parkinson had an up and down day. Bryan Williams was generally contained by Arthur McGill and Jeff McLean and on the other wing, Duncan Hales saw little ball at all.
Bob Burgess was handicapped by not having played a game of rugby for weeks, had a hamstring heavily bandaged and did not even attempt to move the ball through the chain until the 38th minute.
Having said that, while he was his usual devastating self, buzzing around the fringes of scrums and rucks and scoring his customary Eden Park try, Sid Going was adding to Burgess’ misery, sending passes his way which were literally flying in all directions. His passing was so bad that upon occasion he even drew abuse from the crowd.
So seldom was he given the ball that Bruce Robertson had been reduced to the role of a spectator. Until the test roared into life in that final 10 minutes that is, when thanks to Robertson, the All Blacks turned a mere thrashing into an utter rout.
Firstly, he bolted away following a a tap penalty by Going, centre kicked toward the Wallaby line, where the bounce favoured Pole, who drove through the melee to score. At the death knock he sparked again, zipping away on the right, drawing what was left of the defence and putting BeeGee in at the corner.
It was the turn of the selectors to feel aggrieved following the final test and white-wash victory. Aggrieved that the All Blacks had not played to the level or standard of the first test, or first half of the second even, although they did post a record winning margin against Australia, taking the game by 38-6.
It was difficult to gauge exactly where New Zealand rugby was actually at when analysing the tour as a whole. For Kiwi’s, the most reassuring aspect to emerge was the beginnings of a return to old traditional forward strengths. At times the mammoth pack, Kirkpatrick and Sutherland central figures, absolutely monster-ed the Wallabies with their power play.
But this was Australia, not Wales. ‘Nice guys’ with a philosophical approach to defeat. The Welsh and New Zealander’s seethe over defeat and while that attitude may be wrong in an idealistic sense, the hardened approach is essential to success in the hurly-burly of the international arena.
Several weaknesses were also exposed. Largely, back play had been substandard. Robertson looked to be a star of the future, but in and around him there were players with defensive frailties, as a result of which King John had gleefully reported/threatened that a few hammering’s could be in store when in the United Kingdom.
The biggest enigma which faced the selectors in this regard was Sid Going. The backs, in their defence, had been handicapped by his preoccupation with running all good ball and then firing out passes which Dougan, Jaffray and Burgess in successive tests, had to try and collect from their boot laces or around their ears.
What the Australian tour had demonstrated, was that there was still genuine depth to New Zealand rugby. It was now up to the selectors to get the mix right so that hopefully there might yet be a few surprises in store for King John and the largely arrogant and fiercely partisan British media and public.
The third test between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park, Auckland, on 16 September 1972, was the first live telecast of a rugby test match in New Zealand. The presenters were Peter Montgomery and Bill McCarthy. This excerpt was 10 minutes into the second half and features a try by the All Blacks' halfback Sid Going. New Zealand won the game 38–3.
One slight problem that those at the helm faced now was actually the coming All Black trial in Wellington. There’d always been opposition to the trial system, most viewed it as basically a ‘torture rack’, not designed for team play nor specifically individualism and that the curtain-raiser trial was too often a hopeful party for likely rejects.
Plus, this year the selectors had the opportunity of assessing players and their worth via an internal tour and a test match series, plus of course, the usual August-September representative calendar.
Was a full All Black trial really necessary?
Yes. It was a logical procedure. The best 60 players in the country (according to those selectors) must contend their positions by acquitting themselves against the best, in big match conditions. And this coming tour to Great Britain and France was the most significant of its kind in recent memory, because the players as chosen were to be given the responsibility of the restoration of New Zealand rugby.
So the 1972 trial selectors worked a new system which would render most arguments against it pointless. They were to equalise the two games, making genuine trials of both matches, so that the 30 main trialist’s could not regard their tour as just a matter of form. Established players, some unquestionably certainties to tour, would take their place in the early game and actually have an incentive to give their best.
It was a grand ploy, because there were still so many positions genuinely up for grabs. The Gods of the selection committee would announce the trial teams in the days following the third test against Australia. This gave the Wellington contingent that one last chance to impress during the match up against the Waikato on the same day as the test.
So while the AB backs stumbled and bumbled their way past Australia, the Wellington backs reduced Waikato to shreds, continuing their rich vein of form, they won the game by 27-12, with Twig, Nectar, Dick Cleland, Graham Williams and Bob Gray (all genuine contenders now for tour spots) scoring tries. Clock’s conversion rate was on a rough par with Trevor Morris up the road in Auckland, but otherwise he played a particularly sound match in most regards.
Clock Karam in action during Wellington's match with Waikato at Athletic Park. Talk around the traps was that the fast developing Karam might be close to making that UK tour.
Waikato’s sole try was scored by George Skudder, Butch Pickrang adding the balance with his trusty boot. Canterbury smashed West Coast by 47-3 in their first shield defence and the following day, Otago registered a 22-6 win over Nelson-Bays in Nelson.
It was all now in the hands of the rugby Gods.
​
**********
​
NZRFU Chairman, Jack Sullivan, would not be drawn into debate regarding the live broadcast situation, following the third test against the ‘woeful’s’, saying he was not in a position to comment regarding possible future repeats. He would go away and ask other rugby unions for reports on the effects of the live telecasts and the issue would be further discussed at a council meeting in December and then the union’s AGM in April, 1973.
WELLINGTON RFU REPRESENTATIVES, 1972 (Founded 1879)
​
Match Record: Played 21, Won 14, Lost 7. Points; 524. Against; 274.
​
Back Row: K S Jones (Wellington), G B Batty (MSP), J D Brown (Petone), W J Nicholls (Poneke), A R Leslie (Petone),
R J Whittington (Petone), J F Karam (MSP)
Middle Row: A E Keown (WCOB), D W Martin (MSP), R L Gray (MSP), D M Waller (WCOB), G H Senior (Wellington),
G R Wallis (University), M Sayers (University), N B Hawkins (Wellington)
Seated: Mr. W N H Davis (Masseur), P S Barrett (University), R S Cleland (Petone), G C Williams (Wellington-Cpt),
J P Dougan (Petone-V/Cpt), G A Head (Petone), Mr. F W Ryan (selector)
In front: D J Henderson (Wellington), K D Horan (MSP), I N Stevens (Petone)
​
Photograph: Redfern Studios, Wellington