TEAM WORK OR COHESION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 7 (Supplement)

TEAM WORK OR COHESION.

Between Both Backs and Forwards.

PART 11. The backs, as I mentioned earlier, have their set positional play at all times, but the centre, to my mind, is the key man of the back line in respect to backing up, especially backing up the full-back. He is in a position where the play of the opposing side is fairly easy to size up, and also probably the nearest of all positionally to the full-back. As soon as the ball has left the half-back's hands, even if the opposing half has worked the blind side, he naturally falls back, not with the idea of doing the full-back's job, but just to 'be on hand should some slip occur. Don't forget to let your full-back know you are handy; just some little word, such as "Take your time"; "I'm on your right." You know there isn't a man playing, no matter how good he may be, who won't do his job just that little bit better if he knows ho has a helping hand ready.

This applies to every player, not only full-backs. If you intend to field a high ball, let any of your players handy know so that there will bo no misunderstanding. It is unnecessary to yell out at the top of your voice; you are only letting the players in a handy position know.

First of all, don't forget to train yourselves to handle surely and give good passes, and also to dribble. All the team work in the world will bo useless if you haven't the ability to make the most of the opportunities.

Wing three-quarters should always mark their own man. and never be drawn to take an inside man. More tries are scored through this than probably anything else. You see, n wing three-quarter, usually a very fast man and presumably nippy on his feet, is thus given a clear break with very often only the full-back to beat, which means at least a 50-50 chance of scoring. This is where that covering forward, if he is fast enough, and take 3 the short cut

across, comes in very handy.

The five forwards we had reserved for fanning the centre of the field from scrums or line-outs, have a definite job to do before getting that far, and that is to break for the fiveeighths and cover the half from getting round the side of the scrum.

Ex-All Black F. W. LUCAS talks on

There has been a good deal of discussion on this point, as to whether the forwards should break for the half or the five-eighths.

My opinion is that they should break for the first five-eighth. That is, not the whole five of them, but

one or two would be quite sufficient, leaving one or two to cover should the half try to slip round the side of the scrum. I don't think that the forwards really have a chance of stopping or getting the first fiveeighths before he has passed. That is providing they have not broken before the ball is out of the scrum, and that the opposing half has got his pass away in reasonable time, but the main idea is to bustle him so as to force him into errors.

I would just like to mention a few words in favour of the man labelled by our papers generally as the shiner. Well, take it from me, he has come into the game to such an extent that one or two in a team is an absolute necessity. Mind you, don't forget they have always been in the game,

even in the dim, dark ages, although they would never acknowledge him. Look at the position this way: where do the most tries come from? Set scrum or line-outs? Or from loose scrummage ranks or open play? There is no argument, the latter must win. Therefore why put men in your team for scrummaging and line-out play only? The shiner as h« is labelled is usually an ideal forward, possessing just the necessary football brains to be on the right spot at the right moment, and not wasting a moment once the ball is out of the scrum. Mind you, I'll admit there are several that do not pull their weight, but this is the

point: if their open play outweighs their weakness in this direction the team as a whole can do scrummaging enough for the occasion. Then by all means play him.

Don't forget attack is the best defence. It does not matter how ipuch the other side score, just as long as you can score one more.

Personally I don't believe in playing a game to set instructions. It can't be done; so much depends on the other man. But remember this, he can be only as good as you allow him to be.

One of the best modes of attack from the team point of view, and from where most of the tries come, is the quick heel back, when an opposing back stops a forward rush.

These rushes are usually stopped by a back as stated, and the remaining opposing backs are usually out of position, giving you a man over in your back line. The essence of the quick heel is that every forward's eye should be watching for the ball in all loose scrummages and the ball should never be kicked back, but more or less pushed back. The reason for this is that if the ball ig kicked hard it very often rebounds against one of your own player's legs, and therefore slows up the ball coming out, and if it does get out cleanly does not give the half-back an opportunity of getting the ball

away in the quickest possible time. A quick kick back often beats the half-back and allows the opposing forward to break away with the ball.