A GREAT FORWARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 6 (Supplement)

A GREAT FORWARD.

Value of Placing Ball For j Kicker —Practice Together. By the' death 011 naval *iMvke of W. . G. Luddington. Rugby football has lost ; one of the groat personalities of an era j that was rich in fine players, state- j "The Field"' (London) in it« issue of. Febniarv S. He came into prominence ill Xavy Rughy after the la>.t war, and 1 wan soon recogirsed as a model of a front row forward, of stocky, thick set : build, and a real instinct for forward play in all its arts. In the England packe of 1923 to 1920 he was contemporary with such players as \V. \Y. Wakefield, G. S. Conway. K. R. Gardner. A. ' T. Yoyce, R. Cove-Smith, A. F. Biakis- : ton. and R. Edwards. Luddington and j Gardner, another typical Navy forward.) played together in both Xavy and England teams, and never were they of i greater value to England than in the match against Scotland in 1923. How . Luddington won the match with a place kick from the touch line is a story with a moral for all Rugby generations. For a fortnight before the match Lud- . dington had practised place kicking assiduously, with Gardner placing the ball for him. Their opportunity came when, towards the end of the match, with Scotland leading by <> jwiints to 3, Voycc , scored a great try in the corner. With : everything depending 011 the kick, Lud- ! dington, with Gardner placing the ball. : landed a beautiful goal, which will never • be forgotten by thoc-e who saw it. i