Bookshelf

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30636, 30 December 1964, Page 7

Bookshelf

Books on the technical side of Rugby—the scrums, line-outs, kicking, tackling and passing—can often be mundane. But Gerwyn Williams in his book, MODERN RUBGY (A. H. and A. W. Reed) has given a different slant by placing the accent of his book on the attacking side of Rugby.

Williams, who played 13 games for Wales, has produced a book that not only should appeal to the primary schoolboy coach trying to instill some of the basic skills of Rugby into his enthusiastic charges but also to the more sophisticated club or provincial player.

And, it may be added even one or two All Blacks could well heed some of his advice. For even in the international sphere players are not past redemption from errors they have allowed to creep into their game. The author has produced in some detail diagrams and photographs of how to carry out certain tasks in Rugby. There is nothing particularly novel in these. They have been shown and said before. JI

But what is new is that Williams has endeavoured to place the whole aspect of the game on attack. Not attack merely inside the opponents twenty-five but from everywhere on the field. From this he has produced Innovations such as the prop forward dropping out, a forward throwing the ball in. Anything that can lead to the team attacking all the time.

The author insists that the acquisition of basic skills is the essence of Rugby. His book admirably demonstrates how these can be gained.