NECTAR & TWIGGY
7. London Counties
On Thursday morning (November 9th), expecting a tough battle up front with London Counties, the All Blacks had another gruelling training session. Both Bob Duff and Kirky admitted that there was still much work to be done. They would announce the team for the match later that evening, once in London, following an appointment to meet Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne.
In a gracious touch, the Queen stayed for a full fifteen minutes longer than scheduled. Anne, according to Terry McLean, answered some pretty penetrating questions about 'what it was like to be a good looking chick, hamstrung by restrictions pertaining to royalty'. Her answers were quite frank. Horses was another popular topic between All Blacks and Royals.
Peter Bush had been greatly offended when New Zealand's High Commission had made no apparent attempt to procure a photograph of the Royal party with the team. He was on hand an hour or so later post the event, when fifteen of the squad visited the Houses of Parliament and Westminster.
The Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham, fitted Andy Haden into his formal gown, placed his tri-corner hat on Bruce Robertson (after BJ had tried out his full-bottomed wig) and had no objections to Bee Gee bearing the Great Seal. Peter Bush was happy enough snapping away, but another official at the Abbey passed comment that "he hoped all the photo's would be circulated within the team only".
"I have to come clean," Bush announced. "I am a New Zealand press photographer. But I can give you a categorical assurance that these pictures are going only to New Zealand. They will never be published here."
The official muttered some form of relief at hearing that.
"But you can appreciate, old boy," he replied, "that if they were published here, these pictures of you chaps wearing the Lord Chancellor's gown and wig and hat...and...my God, some fellows got his boots on now...there might be, perhaps, some small misunderstanding?"
That evening, the New Zealand selectors named a near test XV to face London Counties on the Saturday, less Duncan Hales, BJ Robertson and Trevor Morris (incumbents from the third Australian test in September), the latter two on the injured list.
(Left) When the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham, gave the All Blacks the freedom of his room, Andy Haden went a step further and donned his robes as well, amid smiles from Ernie Todd and Ron Urlich. (Right) Pole Whiting and Nectar, at a reception given by the New Zealand High Commission at the Commonwealth Institute.
Match 07: Twickenham, London, England. November 11th, 1972
London Counties 3, New Zealand All Blacks 24 (Half-time: 3-12)
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For NZL: Sutherland T, Batty T, Hurst T, Williams T. Karam T, 2P
For London Counties: Jordan P
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London Counties: Tony Jordan (Blackheath & Eastern Counties), Alan Richards (London Welsh & Surrey), John Dawes (London Welsh & Middlesex), David Cooke (Harlequins & Kent), Mike Bulpitt (Blackheath & Eastern Counties), Chris Saville (Blackheath & Surrey), Billy Hullin (London Welsh & Surrey), Andy Ripley (Rosslyn Park & Middlesex), Steffan James (London Welsh & Surrey), Mike Molloy (London Irish & Surrey), Chris Ralston (Richmond & Middlesex), Tony Bucknall (Richmond & Eastern Counties)(c), Les Barlow (Rosslyn Park & Middlesex), Tony Boddy (Metropolitan Police & Middlesex), Robin Challis (London Scottish & Kent).
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New Zealand: Joe Karam, Grant Batty, Ian Hurst, Bryan Williams, Mike Parkinson, Bob Burgess, Sid Going, Alan Sutherland, Ian Kirkpatrick (c), Peter Whiting, Hamish Macdonald, Ken Stewart, Keith Murdoch, Tane Norton, Jeff Matheson.
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Weather: Changeable, cold, windy. Ground: Firm. Crowd: 32,000 Referee: G A Jamieson (Ireland)
Penalties: LC 13, NZL 21. Line-outs: NZL 16, LC 8 Rucks: NZL 18, LC 6. Tight-heads: Norton 5, Boddy 1.
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(From left) Chris Ralston (Richmond & England), Ian Hurst (Canterbury & New Zealand), John Dawes (London Welsh & Wales), Alan Sutherland (Marlborough & New Zealand)
The London Counties side were expected to be another to give the All Blacks the hurry-up, but at the end of the day, they were found wanting in almost every department. Coached by 'Sid' Dawes, of the class of '71 fame, the side contained eight internationals, including representatives from all four home unions. It was written before the match, that they would test the tourists from New Zealand with their 'cosmopolitan' skills.
In unfortunate circumstances, they would no doubt have been a far more formidable opponent, had the Welsh national trial not been on the same afternoon in Cardiff. The clash meant that Counties were denied the services of a contingent of London based Welshmen, clubmates and other '71 Lions in JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Geoffrey Evans, Mike Roberts and John Taylor. The incumbent Welsh hooker and 1968 Lion to South Africa, Jeff Young, also played for London Welsh.
The seven London Welsh players selected for the '71 New Zealand tour (the first five above named, plus Dawes and Mervyn Davies), still remains a record for most players from one club on a single Lions tour. Not surprisingly, they were the outstanding club side of their time, English champions four times between 1966-67 and 1970-71 and winners of the Middlesex sevens in 1968 and 1971-1973.
Sid Dawes, whose appointment as captain (and in effect coach) for the 1965-66 season, oversaw the birth of the dynasty. He significantly increased fitness levels and encouraged an open running, quick-passing, attacking style of backplay, often including an overlapping full-back. This philosophy was largely responsible for the success of the 1971 Lions, who blitzed most provincial outfits (and the AB test team) with scintillating backplay, of which JPR and Gerald Davies were two of the true stars.
The Counties side, however, would be led by and Englishman, in former Roses captain Tony Bucknall, of the Richmond club. Other notable members included No. 8, Andrew George Ripley (1947-2010) and Chris Ralston, who would both tour South Africa with the trail-blazing 1974 British Lions. Ripley was not required for any of the tests on that tour, but Ralston played the fourth and final encounter in Johannesburg, which controversially ended in a 13-13 draw.
But both had played for England in their historic 18-9 victory over the South Africans in Johannesburg, in June. When England went to the Republic, they were the holders of the Five Nations wooden spoon, following home defeats to Wales and Ireland and thumpings in Paris and Edinburgh. They had gone eight matches without a victory. They had beaten the Springboks at Twickenham, in December 1969, during a tour that became known for the anti-apartheid protests almost everywhere the 'Boks went.
Since then, the Springboks had lost but one of their previous 14 home matches (8-9 against the 1970 All Blacks, in Cape Town) and no home union had ever won an international match in South Africa.
England had already served notice on their short tour, by winning five and drawing one of their six matches in the buildup to the only test match. But their 18-9 victory at Ellis Park, stunned the rugby world. One South African website rates it as the 'most shocking' result in the history of rugby union.
The other London Counties player to have been on that SA tour was hooker, Tony Boddy, a reserve in the test match (as understudy to captain, John Pullin). Fullback, Tony Jorden and left wing, Mike Bulpitt had both played once for England in 1970. Billy Hullin at scrum half, had also played just the single test for England, that against Scotland in 1967.
Lock, Mick Molloy of London Irish, had been capped 25 times for Ireland, his first test being against France in Colombes, in 1966. In most of those internationals, he was partnered with Willie John in the engine room of the emerald scrum.
Keefy looks to have gotten the better of Mick Molloy in this early line-out during the London Counties match at Twickenham.
The All Blacks kicked off into the wind, on a grey and cold London afternoon. Twickenham, the home of English rugby was only half full, but the 35,000 spectators soon found their voice as the All Blacks first retrieved, then immediately began running the ball. They were penalised at a line-out in just the second minute of play and Counties fullback, Tony Jorden (who had also appeared for Essex as a fast bowler), missed the kick from 60 metres out, the wind at his back.
The AB's were unaccustomed to short line-outs (or mini line-outs as they were known at the time) and had a bit of trouble fathoming what was going on. They assumed they'd have little time to adjust, as the relative success London Counties had implementing them would clearly influence future opposition to attempt the same.
Unforced errors and foolish penalties being given away, started to grate Kirky, who voiced his opinion to the team regarding the 'ratio of errors to effort'. Both sides looked to play an open and adventurous game and the pendulum swung this way and that. A tearing rush by Tony Bucknall, was followed by a perfectly placed kick by Lungbuster Parkinson, meant for the flying Bryan Williams. Bee Gee fielded the ball, only to be nailed in a superb tackle by Jorden and the pill spilled forward.
But from the ensuing scrum, Tane Norton won a tight-head close to the Counties line and Sid Going broke on the open side (without the ball), taking the home sides back-row with him. Alan Sutherland scooped up the ball and, clutching it in his huge left mitt, went blind, shoved off two defenders with his even bigger right hand and planted the ball over the line, the first of five tries the AB's would post that afternoon. This was in the 27th minute.
Sully was one player who did receive favourable press from the happy band of UK journalists. It is fair to say that the Fleet Streeter's had also found the whole mafia hat thing quite amusing and considered Sutherland to be the ringleader (by seniority and force of personality) of the back seat occupiers of the All Black coach. Home journo's also found this mirthful, although TP was reserved as always, having fought in WWII and a stickler for the tidy, regimented look.
"A more macabre sight there has not been seen, than the three black hats, silhouetted against the lighted, frosted rear window of their team coach, as the team is driven through wintertime Britain. Or, draped in a candlewick bedspread and wearing his black hat and horn-rimmed spectacles, Sutherland looks a formidable figure at the teams Sunday 'court' sessions. He presides as judge, with Norton and Wyllie as his prosecutors."
Hedley Mortlock, Kirky's Men, Vol. 1, 1973.
Five minutes after Sully's unconverted try, Counties were heartened when - not for the last time - Milt was penalised for an illegal put-in to the scrum. Tony Jorden was successful with the penalty goal from 32 metres. Trailing by 3-4 with just eight minutes of the first half to play, Counties were greatly encouraged by the goal.
Backline fumbles had cost them dearly also, but they were well organised in defence, with Dawes (who was playing strictly at inside centre and not alternating with the centre proper, as every other side had done thus far on tour), ensuring that they were up quick to stifle any attacking ambitions the All Black backline may have had.
But two quick tries (in the 34th and 36th minutes) saw the AB's jump out to a 12-3 half-time lead, which appeared to knock some of the stuffing out of the home side. The first was a solo effort by Clock Karam, which literally enraged two of the leading anti-All Black conspirators.
At top speed, Balfour Stewart fielded a high kick by Going and in the ensuing tussle for the ball, Chris Saville was both injured and penalised. The penalty was awarded within 20 metres of the posts and while nothing had been confirmed by referee Jamieson (who was attending to Saville), most assumed that Clock - who was slowly walking toward the ball - would have a shot at goal.
Karam dropped the ball onto his foot (the ancient variation of today's tap penalty), grabbed it and hared off toward the goal line. The act caught the Counties side largely unawares, but as they woke to Joe's secret ploy and reacted accordingly, he only just made the line in the tackle of Mick Molloy.
Clock himself, was especially satisfied with the score, as he'd been waiting for a suitable opportunity to pull his tap-and-run trick.
"It's very difficult over here, because the referees ask you whether you are taking a shot at goal as soon as you approach the ball. Back home, they don't say anything and you aren't committed to the place kick until you actually start making a mound for the ball. I noticed the Counties players were bunched together around the injured player, so I simply tapped the ball and sprinted for the biggest gap. I scored three tries in rep rugby back home with that move."
Joe Karam, Rugby News Tour Book 1, 1973
"As Joe Karam stepped forward to take the kick, the referee signalled to the two touch judges to take up their positions for a kick at goal. However, Karam saw that the London defence was at sixes and sevens, because Saville was being led off for attention to a head injury, so took a tapped penalty and ran over the line. Even then, he dropped the ball and the referee should have given London a scrum. Instead, he gave a try."
John Reason, Rugby News Tour Book 1, 1973
Sid Going breaks from a scrum near the All Blacks goal line, initiating the try of the tour, scored seconds later by Ian Hurst, stretching the AB's out to a 12-3 lead, just before the halftime break.
Bryn Thomas too, in The Avenging All Blacks, wrote word for word verbatim of John Reasons account.
Peter Robbins, writing in the Financial Times referred to Clocks touchdown as 'cheeky' and he even dared to suggest that 'there seemed to be a new spirit abroad in the New Zealand team, using their backs frequently'.
However, Clem Thomas penned for The Observer, that the wealth of possession as obtained by the All Black forwards, 'showed a lack of adventure by their halves and three-quarters'.
And Michael Melford in the Sunday Mirror; 'the stern critic might say that with the same amount of possession, the All Blacks illustrious predecessors would have scored more than 50 points'.
Peter West in Daily Telegraph; 'The midfield play, for all the early evidence of a less stereotyped approach, again lacked real flair and pace'.
Two minutes later, the All Blacks won a scrum, midway between their goal line and the 22 metre line and 10 metres in from touch. The scrum was screwed away from the sideline and suddenly, Milt was off on one of his lightning blindside breaks. Chris Saville managed to effect a half-tackle, but Going unloaded to Kirkpatrick outside him.
Kenny Stewart chimed in and took the ball over the halfway line, as the All Black backs fanned out to the left. The move had suddenly become 'positively pulsating', with a magical combination of adventure and imagination. Balfour offloaded to Toby Macdonald, to Bob Burgess, to Mike Parkinson, then to Ian Hurst, 20 metres from the tryline.
Patrons at Twickers were on their feet and screaming. Archie, sensing a concentration of defenders closing in, decided to go it alone and sprinted the final distance, with Batts outside him screaming for the ball. With a bit of a dummy and a final lunge, he was through the would be tacklers and over. With the pace of movement and acreage of territory covered, it was undoubtedly the try of the tour, thus far.
The New Zealand lead at half-time was not insurmountable, but the forwards were on top and surprisingly winning the majority of line-out ball, against the highly rated Ralston and the vastly experienced Molloy. The AB's started the second half the stronger, but it took 12 minutes until they would stretch their scoreboard advantage out to 18-3.
Before that, Tony Jorden had missed two penalty attempts, Ralson made a telling break and Batty kicked ahead dangerously, which was dealt with accordingly by Jorden with some fine fullback play. Bob Burgess lobbed a kick across for Williams, who ran on to a fortuitous bounce and dotted down wideout. Joe Karam converted. Once again, ol' misery guts Reason was incensed.
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"London were just as peeved when Bryan Williams scored in the second half. First, Alan Sutherland threw the ball forward in the tackle, but the All Blacks were allowed to go on and win the ruck. When the ball came out, Bob Burgess kicked to the open side wing, where Williams was so ar offside that it seemed scarcely conceivable that he could be allowed to go on and score."
John Reason, Rugby News Tour Book 1, 1973
Joe Karam hit an upright with a penalty attempt from 43 yards. Moments later, Archie Hurst's joy turned to agony, when he was forced from the field with a shoulder injury (a dislocation of the joint between the shoulder blade and the collar bone), which would eventually rule him out of any reckoning for the Welsh test on December 2nd. The Twig came on as his replacement.
Six minutes from no time, Pole Whiting won a line-out and the AB's decided to spin the ball. Mark Sayers left Twickers with an indelible moment to savour, with a gem of a pass to Clock, which saw him scythe between Dawes and Richards and - with precision timing - send Batts scampering away, cleaning out the defence to score a 'capital' try in the corner. Karam again converted.
Action shots from the London Counties match at Twickenham on November 11th.
(Left) Lineout study. AB's from left - Toby Macdonald, Jeff Matheson, Pole Whiting and Kirky. London Counties - Chris Ralston, Tony Bucknall, Andy Ripley.
(Right) Bee Gee has offloaded a pass in the tackle, to Archie Hurst, who would later score the try of the tour, to that point and then leave the field with a shoulder dislocation.
The press fallout was nuclear. How dare the All Blacks defeat the fancied London Counties side by 21 points!
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"The All Blacks fell far below their most consuming form and, indeed, needed the help of two questionable tries. The London scrummage often had the shove and five times had the All Blacks front row dangling in the air, even though Murdoch switched to loosehead. It was ironic that The All Blacks scored their best try try from one of their most abortive scrums."
John Reason, Daily Telegraph, 1972
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"There were many reports, though none seriously touched Reasons for sourness. He had Karam scoring after the referee had indicated to the touch-judges that a kick at goal was to be attempted. He had Williams chasing a Burgess kick from an offside position. He had London using considerable variation in the length of the lineout, a tactic which may have worked had the All Blacks 'not been allowed to extend the lineout without being penalised'. He had Norton in the scrums, 'waving his hooking leg around before the ball came in'. He had Going setting up the great try of the match (one of the great tries scored at Twickenham surely) because 'one of his forwards helped to screen him from the defence...as they so often do'. This was not so much a critique as a chastisement."
Terry McLean, They Missed the Bus, 1973.
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John Reason had been right about one thing. The London Counties front row did thave the AB's in a spot of bother upon occasion. In fact, Keefy moved himself to loosehead after one such scrum, complaining that he had 'a sore arse'.
Ian Hurst was driven back to the team's hotel by the doctor who had attended to him at West Middlesex Hospital. He was back in time for the after match dinner, which was held in one of the ancient guildhalls in the city. Most of the touring party and entourage agreed, that it was one of the best after match dinners of the tour.
Most. Keith Murdoch was getting noisy. He had already informed team-mates that he found London 'disagreeable' and Londoners a 'pain in the arse'. At the end of the meal, Keefy was engaged in conversation with none other than England RFU president, Sir William Ramsay, a very influential man when it came to matters of rugby football. His fifty years as an administrator had won him acclaim as one of the greatest figures in the history of the sport.
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"William Ramsay had exceptional qualities, charm and everlasting integrity. His regard for New Zealand was as high a compliment as this country could be paid. I was saddened to hear, only a few weeks after the end of the All Blacks tour, that Bill, aged 73, had died in his sleep in his London home."
Terry McLean, They Missed the Bus, 1973.
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"How did you like it today Keith, m'boy," Sir William asked of Keith Murdoch?"
It was an innocent, friendly question, which received an abusive response.
"Aw shit, fella," said Murdoch, looking around for a wine waiter. "How can playing a bunch of fancy poms...in front of all those other bloody poms, be called a worthwhile experience? Fuck them."
"Well Murdoch," replied Sir William Ramsay. "It's a long way from here to your farm. But I happen to think that in ten years time, you will look back on this as the greatest day of your life."
Sir William, was noticeably put out and told TP as much only moments later. He also told McLean that he could swear better than Keefy if he chose to and that he intended to attempt to 'civilise' him.
"Anyway," Sir William said, puffing away on his cigar, "I intend to invite Mr. Murdoch to my place for Christmas dinner."
He'd already sent an invitation, via Ernie Todd, to Andy Haden, Duncan Hales and Mark Sayers. As a postscript to his original invitation, he asked for the name 'Murdoch' to be added.
At the function, Sully was named as player of the match. The AB's had been informed on several occasions - in person and in the press - that London Counties would be a daunting prospect. Coached by John Dawes, who, like the Beatles, had almost God-like status in Great Britain, with special squad trainings and preparations. But the New Zealanders were not all that impressed and thought that they were lacking in 'fire and spirit'.
A few executive decisions were also made while the All Blacks were in London. Firstly, it was decided to play the match against Ulster in Belfast. The NZRFU had told Ernie Todd that, in their opinion, having weighed up the options, the team should go ahead with the match.
The Ulster Rugby Union were overjoyed with the decision. They arranged for special security precautions, to ensure a smooth passage for the touring party at all times, in a city going through the trauma and agonies of, in effect, civil war.
Management also decided that the All Blacks would stay in Porthcawl for a whole week on their next visit to Wales, for the matches against Gwent and then the first international. The reasoning, as offered by Todd, was that test week would be 'too hectic' and that 'they'd be much better off at Porthcawl'.
Bryn Thomas noted that, ironically, all previous teams had complained about having been shut off at the seaside town in winter. He wrote that Todds explanation was an 'excuse' and the team were deliberately trying to 'hide away' and posed the question; 'Were the All Blacks becoming anti-social?'
Answering his own question, he further opined that they lacked skill, experience and managerial discipline and suffered from an inferiority complex in the company of British officials and VIP's. But what JBG and other British journalists seemed most besotted with was the fact that, in their opinions, the tourists lacked humour and did not appear to be enjoying their rugby.
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"That was the happiest tour I ever went on, contrary to so much nonsense that's been written. We were a really happy team. We visited Buckingham Palace, met the Queen, visited 10 Downing Street, met the Prime Minister. We wandered through Parliament and Madame Toussauds, checked out Big Ben, the underground, drank pints of bitter in genuine English pubs. I met and became friendly with Spike Milligan, Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole, all rugby fans. Bee Gee sang with Lulu, we met Gilbert O'Sullivan and Mohammed Ali. He told Pole "with a name like the All Blacks...you gotta be great!""
Grant Batty, 'Batts', 1981.
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"Sensational. That would be the most closely bound team unit I ever played within. Tremendous camaraderie. I formed friendships that continue to this day. It was a very special group of people."
Ian Hurst, Otago Daily Times (Hayden Meikle), 2016.
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A capital affair. Clock, Batts and Nectar have their photo taken by Bob Burgess, outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Peter Bush took this particular photo however. Where was Twig?
When is a try not a try?
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Described as 'pettifogging' by Hedley Mortlock, and dismissed as the 'most trivial of offences', the All Blacks had two tries disallowed for the same error, in successive matches against Cambridge University (Sutherland) and London Counties (Kirkpatrick).
In throwing the ball into lineouts, from which the tries subsequently came, Batts and Bee Gee put a few toes over the sideline chalk, raising the flags of the officious linesmen.
On both occasions, play raged on (two tries being scored), before the misdemeanor was brought to the attention of the referee.
"It wouldn't have happened in New Zealand," Batts explained. "The touch judges don't look where you are standing back home."
#1 song in UK (5-11th November; CLAIR - Gilbert O'Sullivan
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British Football Results (November 11th) - English League, Division 1
Chelsea 1, Leicester City 1
Coventry City 3, West Ham Utd 1
Derby County 2, Crystal Palace 2
Everton 2, Manchester City 3
Leeds Utd 2, Sheffield Utd 1
Manchester Utd 2, Liverpool 0
Newcastle Utd 3, Birmingham City 0
Norwich City 0, Ipswich Town 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1, West Bromwich Albion 1
Stoke City 3, Southampton 3,
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Arsenal 3
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