Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 10 August 1972, page 26


COMBINED TEAM

THWARTS

WALLABIES'

EFFORTS

WESTPORT (NZ) Wednesday (AAP). —■ Hopes for a big Australian victory on a dry ground were dashed at the Victoria Square ground in Westport when the combined Buller-West Coast side beat the Wallabies 15-10 in a rugby union game which was played almost throughout in heavy rain.

The Australians performed better than they did in Dunedin. Although still not able to handle the conditions, their rucking and the backs' speed had noticeably improved.

The combined team scored five penalties, four of them to full-back Gerald Hart and one to Ron Hibbs, and the Wallabies gained two tries, one to Dick Cocks and one to Greg Davis. Cocks' try was converted by Geoff Richardson.

Play ivas

sound

Although Richardson's play was sound, he blotted his copybook by missing six kicks at goal, at least two of them from easy positions.

Russell Fairfax starred at full-back and his speed stopped Combined from crossing the Australian

line.

Garrick Fay and Barry Stumbles did well in the

lineouts, and Davis and Cocks were Tigers in the

loose.

Mick Freney, making his debut for Australia, took 13 tight-heads and gave only two away.

The inside back combination of John Comes and Peter Rowles began in a promising manner, but soon got bogged down by the conditions.

David Burnet at outside centre showed a lot of promise when given an opportunity. Of the two wings, John Taylor and John Cole, Taylor had the most work and generally did it well.

John Gilbert, 20, was a great_ general for the

combined team at halfback, and its forwards worked tirelessly as a pack, with none in particular standing out.

Full-back Hart showed he had a magnificent boot before he left the field

with an ankle injury.

Two Australians were treated for injurv during the game, second-rower Fay and prop John Howard. Neither was seriously

hurt.

Qui) rugby union

side faces test

The ACT Club Rugby Union completes an ambitious initial representative season on Sun

day when it pits its senior team against the touring Darling Downs representative team.

The team, prepared by the former Norths firstgrade coach Dcs Ross, is pledged to play open and entertaining rugby and, indeed, has tried to honour that pledge.

The club rugby union was formed at the beginning of the season to reinstate the Canberra and Waugh Cup in viable competitions.

The representative team, young and keen, will face its sternest game this weekend when it meets Darling Downs which includes several players with GPS experience and others who have graduated from that to district and State representation.

The ACTCRU team will be selected after a final trial on Saturday at Duntroon, also the site of Sunday's, match. Triallists are expected to include ACT senior representatives Michael Grogan, of Yass, and Jim Hindmarsh, of Bowral.

MICHAEL FOSTEF