Room 7 at Kilbirnie School, Hataitai, Wellington, 1971. Me, third from left in the back row. ‘Doc’ Campbell to my right. Two doors down on my right is Alan Patterson, whose father played football for the Arsenal reserves.
The Orie’s 5th Grade season was two-thirds over. It had become and out-and-out race between myself and Peter Gunn as to who was going to end up top try scorer. It was going to be me, I wanted a trophy. I was the star of the team - along with Peter and Joe Koopa - but they were both forwards. I was the one with legs as long as Robert Gray’s, so to speak and seemed to be the one to score the tries that broke a deadlock or pulled us further away to safety.
The morning of the Wellington-Canterbury match, we had a tough assignment against Marist (Miramar), which ended in a 9-9 draw.
(Left) Gareth Head goes up for the loose ball with Al Keown (5), John Kirkby (6) and Jack Davie (13) also in support.
(Left) Nectar (with moustache!) and Canterbury’s Hamish MacDonald in action during the Wellington-Canterbury fixture on Athletic Park, 1971.
It's a try for Lions skipper, 'Sid' Dawes against Otago in Dunedin. Bruce Hunter is the Otago man, Gerald Davies in the background.
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Despite encountering the first ‘bog’ of the tour, which was hardly adequate for elaborate back play, the Lions were still able to carve out an impressive victory.
This was underpinned by Otago’s lack of adventure themselves, for having won their share of the ball, they were not able to convert this possession into points and close the gap between themselves and the Brits.
The most bewildering aspect however, from an Otago point of view, was Keith Murdoch’s withdrawal from the starting side on the morning of the match.
The good folk of Christchurch, queuing for tickets at the DIC, for the Canterbury-Lions game.
Meanwhile, down in Christchurch, it was the much awaited Canterbury-Lions clash (no pun intended). No doubt, the tour schedulers strategically placed this crunch (no pun intended) match one week out from the first test match. Canterbury had quite the reputation as the hardest side in the country, forwards that is, with a few members of the greatest NZ provincial fisticuffs merchants of all time.
None have ever come tougher or more uncompromising than ‘Grizz’ Wyllie from the Glenmark club in North Canterbury.
(Top Left) The batted and bruised face of Lions prop, Sandy Carmichael, invalided out of the tour after the Canterbury match.
(Above) Carmichael is on the ground clutching his face. Does Hoppy look guilty? Other Cantabs - Cottrell, Cron and Matheson - look to play rugby. Wyllie is looking for the next target.
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(Below) Captain Ian Penrose hands off Peter Dixon, with Fergi McCormick, Lyn Davis, Howard Joseph and Wayne Cottrell in support.
The 1971 All Blacks were very different from any before them. Only the 35-year-old Colin Meads (the new captain) remained from the settled and successful, test team of the late 1960’s. ‘Piney’ was still a formidable presence, but inevitably past his best and Ian Kirkpatrick was the only proven world-class player and in his prime.
It wasn’t so much a poor All Black pack, Peter Whiting and Tane Norton, newcomers at lock and hooker, would become great players. In fact, the omission through injury of ‘Pole’ Whiting for the third test was one of the most critical factors in the Lions series win.
But overall, the side lacked genuine experience (evident by the cap to cap mark-up) and would be matched in pack intensity by the Lions, which is a feat that previous tourists from the home unions had failed to do, forever to their detriment.
Sid Going, a fine nine-man exponent, had eventually been paired with the flamboyant creator, Bob Burgess at first-five, leaving ‘Darcy’ Dougan, Doug Bruce, Alan Watkins, Blair Furlong, Tony Clark and all other contenders behind.
Did Vodanovich and company view Burgess as the closest thing NZ had to ‘King’ John? If so, correct decision. And officially, Bob Burgess became the longest haired All Black of all time, causing Colin Meads to comment during the teams first official training run (or as legend has it); “Who the fuck are you son? Basil Brush?”
Sporting a Griqualand jersey, , it's the new AB captain, Colin Meads (King Country)
Trouble was, Going-Burgess was generally a poor combination, with the latter often having to pick up passes around his boot laces. Burgess also suffered from (in the test arena) a team tactic of kick and chase, which was absolutely criminal the following season with Bruce Robertson, Bryan Williams, ‘Batts’ Batty and ‘Clock’ Karam outside him.
Had ‘Nectar’ been scrum-half and ‘Twig’ at inside centre, during the UK tour, that may well have been the most lethal back-line in our rugby history. But it was not to be.
Bryan Williams, a great wing but still only twenty years of age, was pitted at centre against the astute and wily John Dawes. Williams had been moved to centre to accomodate a pair or test debutants on either wing in Bruce Hunter and Ken Carrington.
While Carrington’s marker, John Bevan, was also playing his first official test match, he was in the purplest of patches on tour and the consummate ease with which he’d blown Fergi and friends away to score against Canterbury was an ominous sign. Hunter was up against the 17-test Welsh veteran and single-capped British Lion, Gerald Davies.
BeeGee was moved to centre for the first test against the Lions. Caps in the three-quarter's; New Zealand 4, British Lions
The AB’s looked to have an edge in the front row, with ‘Jazz’ Muller and ‘Keefy’ up against Ian McLachlan and Sean Lynch, both elevated into the lime-light through the demise of the first string props, the unfortunate Carmichael and McLaughlin, now invalidated, out of the tour.
John Taylor, capped eighteen times for Wales, was up against another test newcomer in Alan McNaughton, who’d won the battle for the all-important open side berth ahead of the only other real contender in Graham Williams.
All things considered though, small idiosyncrasies aside, the forward packs looked pretty evenly matched. Having been together on tour for six weeks, possibly the only discernible difference which may have given the Lions the slight edge. Vodanovich’s decision to not play Hopkinson and Wyllie (as also in South Africa the preceding year in the fourth test, following their prank), was probably the biggest mistake he made.
Had both, but particularly Hopkinson played, the first test, the All Blacks would probably have won the match, albeit through intimidation and knuckle. As we are talking rugby union and not boxing, Vodanovich was correct to remove the element of thuggery from his equation and no doubt Dr. Douglas Smith would have turned Hoppy’s selection into a frenetic media storm in any case.
There was also tactical confusion, with the expansive inheritance of Fred Allen replaced by the sergeant-majorly, hard-grinding norm, of coach Vodanovich.
Fergie McCormick lasted only one Test.
“I was watching from the stand (Canterbury match) and it was savage stuff. At the break, Carwyn said, ‘Barry, come down and sit next to me.’ And while I sat there and watched all this carnage going on, he turned to me and said quietly, ‘Interesting?’ And I said, ‘Yes, definitely.’ Because amid all the violence, we kept one eye on Fergi McCormick at full-back. I studied all aspects of his game, but mainly his positioning. I thought a lot about that afterwards. As well as the punches and kicks, I saw something else that I stored away. Carwyn saw it too.”
Barry John (When Lions Roared: Tom English, Peter Burns)
The Lions management themselves perceived that the AB’s had an edge in the loose forwards and although not fully fit, Thomas Mervyn Davies (1946-2012)was selected at No. 8 owing to the wealth of possession he was expected to gain at the tail of the line-out.
All things considered, it was going to be a tight test, at least that was the prediction of most pundits and tight it most certainly was. The taste of defeat from the previous season lingered in the back of the throat. After mass retirements and the like, were the new All Blacks going to be up for it?
With ‘Pinetree’ Meads at the helm, there’d be no fucking around on the job, that’s for sure. But experience and intelligence wise, at least intelligence enough in the face of such perceived intelligentsia as the Lions ranks allegedly contained, were they up to the battle of wits to match the brawn?
(Left) Replacement scrum half, Chico Hopkins is caught by Kirkpatrick during the first test in Dunedin. Lions are JPR Williams (15), Lynch, McBride, Thomas, Davies and Bevan. AB's; McNaughton, Sutherland, Whiting, Going, Guy and Norton. (Right) Pinetree and Sid mean business as they lead their respective sides to battle.
No they weren’t. The record crowd of 46,000 saw the AB forwards climb into their work with plenty of vigour and if not for a few handling lapses, forced passes and some aimless kicking (from Going and Burgess particularly), they may have scored first, which would have changed the shape and mood of the contest and all that was riding on it. Bruce Hunter went the closest to scoring on the right wing, but unfortunately put a foot in touch while trying to round the tackle of JPR Williams.
By contrast, the Lions tactical kicking was superior and after all the hard driving work by the All Blacks came to nothing, King John or Mike Gibson would turn them around with raking kicks into vacant space, which found the home team back-peddling.
Fergi was constantly caught out of position. Or not so much out of position, but as the Lions had done their home-work, the ball was always kicked to where he wasn’t!
Following one such occasion, with panic having set in, ‘Mighty Mouse’ McLauchlan charged down a clearing kick on the goal-line by Alan Sutherland and pounced on the scraps to score the game’s only try.
Barry John and Fergi were simply woeful when kicking for goal during the first half. John made a meal of the relatively simple conversion of McLauchlan’s try and eventually, after an equally embarrassing penalty kick had gone hopelessly awry, Fergi landed one to draw the AB’s level at 3-3 at the break.
King John eventually landed one from the Carisbrook porridge himself, to give the Lions the lead back at 6-3.
The AB’s continued to probe, backs and forwards interchanging passes in desperate rushes, but it all amounted to nothing. Barry John settled the score with a second penalty goal, following a soft late tackle call against Alan McNaughton, which extinguished the New Zealand flame once and for all.
It had been a largely gallant effort from the inexperienced home side, but the Lions - who were expected to provide the majority of the expansive play in the game - won it largely on sheer courage and their desperate, but successful scrambling defence.
Myself, I was very impressed by these Lions. They’d caned my province and now turned the tables on my country’s best, winning the first test of a series in New Zealand for the first time since 1930. My scrap book was well under way, press clippings and photographs, bolstered by colour jobs courtesy of the NZ Weekly News.
Not so much the rest of the country though. Once again, plunged into the depths of depression, with July just around the corner, the test defeat had soured the mood and threatened again to disrupt the economy and the housing market.
Why on earth did the All Black’s try to play 15-man rugby and take on the Lions at their own game? Surely the more traditional and conservative ‘kick all day into the box’ trick, which had served so well in the past, would have been far more applicable in the bog? Turn the Lions around and follow through with bruising hits and robust power.
But that is why I used the word gallant. The sight of Bob Burgess, Baker Cottrell and BeeGee running with ball in hand was a treasure to behold. Hunter and Ken Carrington on the wings, were often involved in rushes and while not in the skill set of Davies and Bevan, were given opportunity and ran with genuine purpose all the same.
Watch highlights of the first test match between the All Blacks and the 1971 Lions in Dunedin at left
I cared not. I was in love with the Lions and as a result, found myself the Tuesday following the first test match, in the head-masters office at Kilbirnie School. It was alright, I wasn’t in any trouble. I was there with my mother to get permission from Mr. McColl to take the afternoon off school the following Wednesday, so I could go (with her) to the Lions match at Athletic Park against New Zealand Universities. Permission granted.
Bonuses were many; an afternoon off school, a second look live at both these 1971 Lions and a side representing NZ Varsity’s. Lions playing who weren’t against Wellington were ‘Chico’ Hopkins, Gordon Lamont Brown (1947-2001), Ian McLachlan, Frank Laidlaw and Claude Brian ‘Stack’ Stevens (1940-2017).
JPR, Duckham, Bevan, Dawes, Gibson, John, Davies, Slattery, Taylor and Thomas had all played against Welly. I was getting a second dig at a few Varsity players also; Evan Taylor, Dave Palmer, Morrie Collins, Howard Joseph (who’d just been named in the second test team, Beegee moved out onto the wing in place of Carrington), Bob Burgess and in the forwards, Alex Matheson, John Sherlock and Alan McLellan.
Since the first test, The Lions had beaten Southland by 25-3 and then had the closest of matches on tour thus far, defeating Taranaki by 14-9. The match against NZ Universities was on the Tuesday before the second test.
The whole (rugby) nation was still completely apprehensive about proceedings. What if we were to inexplicably drop the second test also? Christ! it just wasn’t worth thinking about. Life just wouldn’t be worth living.
The likelihood of it becoming an eventuality was even more frightening, after King John had turned in an exemplary performance against the students, registering 21 of the 27 points posted himself, scoring in all four ways possible in a game of rugby.
Morrie Collins though, scored twice for NZU and with the Lions only managing three tries themselves, the difference was undoubtedly the golden points haul attributable to the King. The Lions players and management thought Evan Taylor (a new found hero of mine at the time) to be the best full-back in New Zealand and believed he should have worn the AB #15 jersey during the test series. Time and again he counter-attacked for Varsities, with shades of JPR himself (who was still on his way to greatness) and reminiscent of the great French full-back, Pierre Villepreux.
Check out all the photographs from the Lions match against New Zealand Universities at right.
with Lions Davies and Bevan closing in. Collins in support.
captained by Ged Kember
under the posts, too slick for a bevy of Varsity players.
with Lions Davies and Bevan closing in. Collins in support.
But it was Taylor’s Otago stablemate, Laurie Mains, who the selectors went with for the second through fourth test matches. Predominantly, they required a goal-kicker and this was not the strongest part of Taylor’s game, whereas Mains was more reliable in this department and more stoic on defence.
Alan Sutherland broke his leg in a charity match the same day as being named in the second test team and was replaced by Grizz Wyllie. The Lions found this move somewhat of interest also, believing that Sutherland should have been replaced by another line-out specialist (Tom Lister perhaps) and considered Wyllie to be more of a spoiler than a genuine ball winner. They were also scared of him and the second test was to be played at Lancaster Park, where Grizz was a cult hero.
But it was a much invigorated All Black side which won the second test match by 22-12, in try scoring terms, the most comprehensive victory of the series with five (including a penalty try). Bob Burgess, in his finest performance in black, scored a brace, Super Sid bagged one and Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick scored one of the all-time great All Black tries, emerging from a ruck - ball in hand - in a 60m merry caper, sweeping Lion after Lion aside on his way to diving in at the corner flag. The crowd at Lancaster Park went fucking nuts!
Succesive victories were then recorded against Wairarapa-Bush (27-6), Hawkes Bay (25-6), Poverty Bay & East Coast (18-12) and Auckland (19-12), before the all important third test at Athletic Park, Wellington.
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Notebook out; FIRST TEST MATCH. NEW ZEALAND v BRITISH ISLES
Again, it was a late call-up from the reserves bench due to an injury (my mother, in the end, didn't want to go), but on July 31st, I was once again Athletic Park bound with my father, this time for my first test match.
In hindsight, although I was only eight that winter, I can remember a lot about it and am so glad I got the opportunity to see the 1971 Lions on three occasions. For that side - and the side of 1974 that went to South Africa - are easily the two greatest Lions sides through all ages.
Although the Lions had despatched Hawkes Bay with relative ease (another match with some degree of nastiness), most folk on their way to the Park - a percentage of them crammed into that alleyway - were fairly chipper and most were talking, following their second test display, of the All Blacks going one up in the four test series, with another comprehensive win this day.
But confidence restored was smashed asunder when it was the Lions who went 2-1 up in the series, registering a 10 point, 13-3 victory in Wellington. It was a rather different style of victory though, the Lions up by 13 points early in the match and the All Blacks always on the back foot and playing catch up, never really in the hunt. As with the first test, the AB’s mounted attack after attack after attack, only to be thwarted by the absolute sternest of Lions defence. They got their points early and then tenaciously stopped all All Black advances forthwith.
When Peter Whiting injured his back at a training session at Wellington College, forty-eight hours out from this crucial third test match, Vodanovich, Duff and Walsh were moved to yet another crisis point. With the exception of Murdoch, the All Black forward pack was the best as was available to the selectors in May of 1971 and Peter Whiting, with his size and strength, was an integral part of that pack.
Decisions? Someone had to be placed on standby in case the back wasn't up to it come Saturday. Ian Eliason had played outstandingly well for Taranaki against the Lions, a fine line-out forward, aggressive in the tight and surprisingly mobile in the loose for such a big unit. John Callesen from Manawatu was also young talent, as was the hard working Aucklander, John Sherlock.
From left field, the 'recently retired from all first-class rugby' former All Black captain, Brian Lochore, was recalled...but as a lock to partner Pinetree, not in his usual position at the base of the scrum.
There was more than just a hint of panic about the re-calling of Lochore. No doubt as a working farmer, he'd be fit enough to play and there was absolutely no questions regarding his experience, but was he the man for the job? The selectors thought so and in to the test lineup he came when Whiting duly pulled out.
It was in the backs where the Lions won the third test match however and even then, their backs hardly ever had the ball. In fact, the Lions rarely had the ball. The pattern of the first three internationals had been set and there was not very much difference between all three games in the finer points, except that the All Blacks had scored their points in the second.
The All Blacks - in all three matches - had powered into the oppo in the vanguard and looked to create good second phase ball to use the backs and score tries. But the forwards had met a similarly resilient pack, Going and Burgess (while often brilliant) had un-necessarily kicked away far too much possession, often aimlessly and their was a very great lack of imagination in the back-line and fuck all in the way of support play. Once in the series - in test four - did they try something elaborate, like a planned move from a scrum, and it resulted in a try to Wayne Cottrell.
The Lions collectively tackled their arses off for the entire four match series and when the All Blacks coughed up the pill, turned the scraps into gold. They were either in desperate defence when the mistake happened and Barry John was able to send them back 40m with a great piece of clearing under pressure, or on attack and prepared to counter attack and have a go at the AB's, often with great results.
The other great try scored in the second test was a combination of all these aspects rolled into one. An aimless kick by Sid Going, fielded by JPR, mid-way between his goal-line and the 22m, whose initiative is to set off straight up the middle of the park, with slight of step leaves BeeGee on his arse, has to actually slow down to link up with Gibson (no Joseph who was in a ruck on the other side of the field), who draws Mains and times his pass to the flying Gerald Davies to perfection, the Welshman outstripping Burgess and McNaughton in cover defence to score a glorious try, with unbelievable simplicity.
Check out some awesome B&W photo's from the third test, before, during and after, courtesy of the National Library of NZ, at left.
So, going into the fourth test - as with 1970 - the AB’s were 1-2 down and now at maximum crisis point. Peter Whiting returned to the fray, but in a move made with a view toward bulking up the pack, Tom Lister came in for the flying McNaughton. It was slightly ambiguous, as McNaughton had been a success if anything in his harrowing of Barry John and it wasn't a few more pounds which were required, more tactical variation.
With Bob Burgess injured in test match three, Cottrell was moved into flyhalf and North Otago’s Phil Gard bought in at inside centre, with Hawkes Bay’s Mick Duncan (who replaced Burgess in Wellington) playing his only test match (as a run on) at centre.
Surprisingly, for all his potential, Howard Joseph had not been a success at all at centre. Even when he got the ball and a try looked a rare but distinct possibility in test three, he managed to trip over a dog which had started on to the field.
As it turned out, New Zealand had ample opportunity to have won the match and at least squared the rubber, but it appeared that the rugby God’s were not smiling on them, but on those charismatic Lions of '71 who could do little wrong. Even JPR - who had never drop kicked a goal in any form of the game - let fly from a hundred miles out and it sailed straight between the uprights.
Although the match ended in a 14-all-draw, the Lions had taken the series, their first ever on New Zealand soil. My scrap book was positively overflowing. My stash of ‘rugby men’ was extremely impressive.
Watch a documentary from YouTube, "When the Lions Roared", with many highlights of the 1971 tour to New Zealand.
Watch a documentary from YouTube, "A Pride of Lions, 1971 Wooden Spoon Society". Their 25th reunion weekend.