Memories of loss vivid for ABs great

BY RICHARD KNOWLER

Although it happened almost 56 years ago, the memories are still crisp for Bob Scott.

Described by many as one of rugby's true greats, he did not take kindly to the All Blacks suffering their 13-8 defeat to Wales during their epic five-month tour of 1953-54. It wasn't the opponent, or the way the All Blacks lost that irked him; it was just that he hated losing.

Even now, at 88, he still enjoys a competitive roll-up at his bowls club in Whangamata: "I still play bowls. I played bowls yesterday and I am playing again tomorrow. I'm always competing; nothing changes."

Records show that when the All Blacks lost to Wales on that overcast afternoon the visitors won enough ball to win, but the backs struggled. Flanker Bill Clark scored their sole try and right wing Ron Jarden kicked a conversion and a penalty.

"I remember the game quite clearly in lots of ways, in the fact we spent the biggest percentage of the game in their territory but still lost the game," Scott said.

"We were playing for safety first and I think that had quite a big bearing on it.

"We were capable of beating them; the forwards seemed to have quite a bit of control. The attitude towards playing against Wales has always been it is one of the top international matches to play in.

"It didn't matter if it was going to be Cardiff, Llanelli, Newport or whatever – they are pretty staunch rugby people."

It was to be a sobering start to the first international of the All Blacks' grand slam tour, which was followed by a test in France and matches in Canada and the United States on the way home. The repetitive northern hemisphere tours of the professional era have since rubbed much of the gloss off the All Blacks-Wales encounters, but the Welsh supporters have lost none of their passion. Over the years there have been tales of how they have struggled to be gracious to the touring New Zealanders.

Scott says he experienced little animosity and noted in 1953 the All Blacks had to swallow their pride and concentrate on getting their tour back on its wheels.

"You accepted it, I suppose. But you never expected it."

For Scott, who played 52 matches, including 17 tests, for the All Blacks between 1946 and 1954, that Cardiff test loss rankled.

"My personal feelings were that I was pretty despondent. The fact of that is – and you can take this whichever way you like – is that maybe it is ego and the like. But deep down I have always personally felt a loss with any team that I have played in."

For Scott, no stranger to playing in Cardiff, whether it be for the All Blacks or the NZEF "Kiwis" army team after World War II, that test match was the final outing in the city in a black jersey, and he has never forgotten the stadium's electric atmosphere.

"Tremendous – the Welsh singing is quite outstanding. It is a great experience to be there. I must have played on Cardiff Arms five times in total."

There has always been an expectation on All Blacks teams to perform, and Scott noted the pressure on the All Blacks to win was no different in his day.

Having played a role in building the proud history that has enabled the New Zealand Rugby Union to mould the All Blacks into such a powerful commercial brand, he is well qualified to comment.

"Well, I have always felt the All Blacks should always win. I always feel there is a lot expected of the All Blacks.

"All I know is that as an All Black – as a rugby player – that I have always felt the All Blacks should win.

"The background of rugby in New Zealand has always been such."

Asked how much pressure he felt personally and how he coped, Scott cackled down the telephone line.

"Heavens yes, I enjoyed it. There is no such thing as a game – it is a competition. It is all attitude in the finish. There are lots of guys that are good and I am sure when I was playing at international level there were plenty of other guys that were just as good at fullback.

"The margin is pretty fine. It comes down to a mental thing, I feel. And I was always pretty fit. I wanted to be better than anybody else."

That Scott even played in the 1953-54 tour was a surprise.

Following the 1951 season he announced his retirement from representative duties, but was persuaded to tour at 32 years of age to help provide guidance to a clutch of young men being groomed for the highly anticipated 1956 Springboks tour. His final match for the All Blacks was at the end of the 1953-54 tour, against the California All Stars in San Francisco. It was his 22nd match of the journey.

Nowadays Scott looks at the structure of New Zealand rugby with some bemusement and laments the decline of the standards of club rugby.

He reckons with the emphasis on defence so dominant, and players being so big, that the game is becoming like the NFL. "You don't see many players running with the ball in two hands."

He hoped All Blacks coach Graham Henry would resist returning to the rotation policy he employed ahead of the 2007 World Cup, a strategy that resulted in test matches being used to trial players and mix up combinations.

"The way things went in that last World Cup, this revolving of players – I just can't understand Graham Henry. The only way you finish up with a hardened test side is by playing them.

"If one player gets hurt, there is always another to come in. But you don't find that out by using your big games, test matches in a World Cup [to blood players]. You don't use them as a trial game. Stick to your tried and true, tried and trusted."

- © Fairfax NZ News