Japanese Rugby Not Yet At International Standard

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28554, 7 April 1958, Page 17

Japanese Rugby Not Yet At International Standard

(New Zealand Press Aucxnation;

WELLINGTON, April 6. Japan is not yet ready for international Rugby. Officials of the game there acknowledge this now, although they would not have acknowledged it two months ago, writes Graeme Jenkins, the New Zealand Press Association correspondent who toured with the New Zealand colts’ team. The tour of the New Zealand under 23 years old side was regarded by them as the big test. The New Zealanders won all nine matches in Japan and one at Hong Kong. After good showings against the Oxford, Cambridge, and Australian University touring teams in recent years, supporters of the game in Japan were confident the New Zealanders could and would be beaten. This confidence, although on the wane after the first few matches, did not die completely until the final whistle of the final match. Had they not been forced to play New Zealand at our own game, the Japanese would probably have done much better. As it was, sheer size and strength beat them and until they can develop bigger forwards they will have little hope in international Rugby. With a 60-year-old history in Japan, Rugby is still confined mainly to university students and graduates, although some large industrial concerns the New Zealanders visited have their own teams. Started by a Cambridge graduate, Japanese Rugby still has many of the hallmarks of English university Rugby. This style of play, which New Zealand teams have always found difficult to counteract, is similar to that normally played by Australian teams.

If tide New Zealanders had not forced the Japanese to play the New Zealand style, the results of some of the matches at least could have been different. One of the worst features of their play was the spoiling. Some of the sides went on the field with the obvious intention of stopping the other side from scoring, but with little htention of scoring itself. Spoiling Play The match against Meiji University, supposedly one of the best teams in Japan and present holders of the university championship which the New Zeaanders won by 55 points to 3. was the first on tour where the tourists were able to develop their awn game fully because of the lack of spoiling play. As a result It gave the Japanese a sample of Rugby as it should be played.

After that match one of the university “Rugby professors” laid he had learned more from

watching it than he had gathered in 20 years.

Some of the Japanese newspapers criticised New Zealanders for their rough play but there was nothing to complain about. If the tourists had played easy” it would have been an insult to the Japanese who hailed the team everywhere as “the All Blacks— world Rugby champions,” and it would have done any future All Blacks in the side a disservice. Of the New Zealand players themselves, none failed to improve on his New Zealand form and while some did not improve as much as others, the total result of the tour can only be good to New Zealand Rugbv. The full-backs, B. M. J. Dineen and P. T. Walsh both played well, with Walsh showing much of the class form which he showed in 1955 and which reminded many at that time of the great George Nepia. He was equally at home at centre, but it was at full-back that he played his best Rugby. J. R. Watt and R. R. Cossey, wings for the three tests, both had good tours with Watt top points scorer and Cossey top try scorer in the nine official matches. The match at Hong Kong is listed as “unofficial.” Davidson’s Prospects The young Canterbury player, D. J. Davidson, who created a first-class impression at the Wanganui trial before the team was selected, could be an All Black with a little more weight and experience. K. C. Briscoe was a much steadier half-back ’ than M. F. Whitta, although the Canterbury man had his moments with his running breaks from the scrum., J. Creighton (Canterbury) is a hooker who could make the grade in a national sense although tie has yet to. represent his province. With a little more weight and experience, he could be in the running in 1960. He was given the proverbial “armchair” ride with W. J. Whineray and the Poverty Bay and North Island representative. A. G. E. Rowlands on either side. .. l Perhaps the most promising of the newer players were K. E. Barry and K. R. Tremain. Barry, nicknamed “Ned,” after his All Black father, played at lock and on the side of the scrum.