Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 19 September 1972, page 63


Wallaby manager

wants more tours

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Monday (AAP). - The manager of the Australian rugby team, Mr Joe French, said when the team arrived in Dun

edin at the beginning of

its 13-match tour of New Zealand, that New Zealand and Australia should have more tours.

Mr French said yesterday, before the Wallabies left for Fiji, that he still thought that way. in spite of the Wallabies' dismal record in New Zealand.

"More tours - say, every two years - would be beneficial to both coun

tries and especially a help to Australian rugby.

"It's ridiculous that two countries in such close proximity should see each other so infrequently", he said.

Although Mr French was disappointed with the results of the tour, he was still happy with the strength of Australian rugby.

He said there were five or six top players in Australia who would have made the tour had they been available, and there was also sufficient depth in Australian rugby to ensure the Wallabies would not again have such an unhappy tour.

Mr French said after the third Test at Eden Park on Saturdav that he was confident the Wallabies to lour

England and Wales next years would do well.

Mr French said the poor performances by the Wallabies in New Zealand five wins out of 13 games, were caused mainly through lack of power in the forwards, although the backs often made elementary mistakes.

"The first five forwards", he said, "were not hard enough to match most New Zealand nacks - especially the All Blacks".

The Australian coach, Mr Bob Teniplcton. also blamed his forwards for much of the bad play by the Wallabies.

The Wallabies will play a match in Fiji tomorrow and will return to Australia on Wednesday.