New Zealand v Poland 1975 - Fourth Test
By Tracy Holmes

The 4th and deciding Test back at Western Springs being twice rained off, eventually taking place on Tuesday, February 18.

An afternoon tropical storm threatened a third rain-off but as the skies cleared, a massive effort to get the meeting started paid off handsomely. Yes, the track was very tricky early on but conditions improved as the night continued.

A shock for Ivan Mauger in heat 1, out-gated and totally unable to make any impression on Plech and Bruzda. But from then on, the Kiwis set about reversing the Te Marua score which they did on cruise control. New Zealand 2. Poland 1. One void.

The Poles had done very well under conditions that many locals were totally unaware of.

It was then back to Australia for a Six Test series.

Zenon Plech wrote of the experience,

"We often slept in cars like gypsies to avoid spending our expenses on hotel rooms. Even though the team manager would collect hotel receipts that the PZM would later convert to cash for beds that were never slept in."

Crazy stuff but we can only hope they enjoyed the racing side of things that endeared them all to those who witnessed their sometimes erratic and sometimes heroic efforts.

4th Test.

Heat 1. Plech, Bruzda, Mauger, Andrews. Goodall ns
Heat 2. Briggs, Pyszny, Tkocz, Adlington.
Heat 3. Peterson, Jancarz, Stapleton, Jurczynski.
Heat 4. Mauger, Goodall, Tkocz, Pyszny.
Heat 5. Briggs, Jancarz, Jurczynski, Adlington.
Heat 6. Peterson, Plech, Bruzda. Stapleton ef
Heat 7. Mauger, Jancarz, Jurczynski, Goodall.
Heat 8. Briggs, Plech, Adlington, Bruzda.
Heat 9. Peterson, Stapleton, Tkocz, Pyszny.
Heat 10. Mauger, Plech, Goodall, Bruzda.
Heat 11. Briggs, Adlington, Tkocz, Pyszny.
Heat 12. Peterson, Stapleton, Jancarz, Jurczynski.
Heat 13. Mauger, Tkocz, Pyszny, Goodall.
Heat 14. Briggs, Jancarz, Adlington, Jurczynski.
Heat 15. Peterson, Stapleton, Plech, Kostka. Bruzda ns
Heat 16. Mauger, Jancarz, Goodall, Jurczynski.
Heat 17. Briggs, Plech, Andrews, Kostka. Adlington ns. Bruzda ns
Heat 18. Peterson, Stapleton, Pyszny, Tkocz.

New Zealand 70.
Barry Briggs 3 3 3 3 3 3 (18)
Gary Peterson 3 3 3 3 3 3 (18)
Ivan Mauger 1 3 3 3 3 3 (16)
Graeme Stapleton 1 ef 2 2 2 2 (9)
Robin Adlington 0 0 1 2 1 - (4)
John Goodall - 2 0 1 0 1 (4)
Res Bob Andrews 0 - - - - 1 (1)
Res Colin Tucker dnr

Poland 38
Zenon Plech 3 2 2 2 1 2 (12)
Edward Jancarz 2 2 2 1 2 2 (11)
Andrzej Tkocz 1 1 1 1 2 0 (6)
Piotr Pyszny 2 0 0 0 1 1 (4)
Piotr Bruzda 2 1 0 0 - - (3)
Andrzej Jurczynski 0 1 1 0 0 0 (2)
Res Zygfryd Kostka - - - - 0 0 (0)

This article was first published on 12th March 2023