REMITS AIMED AT CURBING LOOSE FORWARDS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30196, 30 July 1963, Page 20

REMITS AIMED AT CURBING LOOSE FORWARDS

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 29. Three remits aimed at curbing loose forwards, and backs standing in a shallow defensive line, were approved in principle by a special meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union in Wellington today to discuss proposed changes to the Rugby laws. When these remits have beer reframed by the union’s executive they will be forwarded to a meeting of the International Rugby Board in January, 1965, together with remits on the hooking laws, the advantage law, the knockon, replacements and some aspects of penalty kicks. The remits approved in principle were that in a lineout the forwards should be contained between five yards anc 15 yards from touch: that if any player not being in the scrum advanced beyond an imaginary line drawn through the back line of the feet of the last men in the I scrum there should be a penalty, and that the backs I should not advance beyond a line from the base of the]

scrum until the ball was clear of the scrum. However, although delegates agreed with the views expressed by the movers of th remits that these measures would curb loose forwards. delegates became bog-* ged down in technical discussions when Mr T. H Peace (Auckland* pointed out that there was no precise ‘ definition of what was a for- ’ ward, and all that was requir- ' ed for a scrum was three ' players in the front row and 1 that there was no law which 1 stated that eight forwards ■ had to make up a line-out Mr C. K- Saxton (Otago), ' who had pressed firmly for changes to the rules to ali low for some restriction on • loose forwards, said he was ■ prepared to leave the matter > to the executive to bring ; forward more precisely de--1 fined remits. “I am not a 1 draftsman. All I want to see 1 is the scrounging loose for- ■ ward legislated into somej thing more constructive.” •| He was supported by Mr •>T. C. Morrison (chairman of 1 i the executive council), who ■I said that spoiling loose for-

wards and the marauding No 8 were the worst features of forward play. Mr Saxton’s suggestion that the executive be empowered to draft any remit that would curb the marauding propensities of the No. 8 forward was passed unanimously. A voice: Better tell our All Black No 8 what we have I just decided.