ANOTHER DREAM SHATTERED

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30191, 24 July 1963, Page 13

ANOTHER DREAM SHATTERED

TTOOKERS are a race ■* r apart in Rugby. Ask them the result at the match they have played in, and they will answer something like, ‘‘3-aU." or *7-1.” Meaning, of course, the number of tight heads gained by them, or against them.

Such thongs as tries and penalties have no part of the hooker’s scrum life. All he is concerned about is the tight head battle, and to explain that the tight heads he lost were not gained by his opposite striking more quickly, but because he kicked the ball through the scrum accidentally.

Lower grade hookers are no exception to this. But one of them, a University third grade player, had his faith in all that a hooker holds dear crudely shattered in a game. University was on attack and a scrum was put down close to the opposition’s goal-line; University was to put the ball in. The University hooker and loose head prop prepared themselves for the perfect exhibition of their art—the quick strike and heel to start off a back movement. Peering closely at each other while waiting tensely for the ball to enter the scrum, they suddenly felt the opposing scrum begin to break up. A man of quick thought, the hooker called to his half-back to put the ball in then, so an attempt could be made to get a push-over try. But he received no response from the half-back. In fact, the half-back was well away from the scrum in pursuit of the opposing team’s backs. In all innocence the half-back, somewhat of a tyro in the position, had put the ball in on die tight head side, where the opposing hooker, after recoving from his surprise at this gratuitous gift, had hooked it swiftly unbeknown to the University hooker who was still looking hopefully in the oilier direction. After the match and under considerable pressure from the caustic remarks of his team-mates about his lack of knowledge of the finer points at Rugby, the half-back could only reply that be had been putting the ball in on the left-hand side without much success, so he thought he would try the other side in the hope of some improvement. He was not half-back the following Saturday.