N.Z. TACTICS QUESTIONED Rugby Played By 15 Men—Mr Louw

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 13

N.Z. TACTICS QUESTIONED Rugby Played By 15 Men—Mr Louw

“The Press” Special Sereice

WANGANUI, August 5.

There is a doubt in the mind of the manager of the Springboks, Mr J. F. Louw, that Rugby in New Zealand at the playing level is going in the direction that it should. Mr Louw has no criticisms of the New Zealand game in other respects.

Indeed, he admires intensely and is secretly envious of the quality’ of the administration and he considers, too, that the enthusiasm is not only stimulating but an insurance against the sport suffering, at least in the foreseeable future, any serious inroads from the competition of other games.

On the playing level, however, Mr Louw does tend to wonder whether New Zealand is making the best use of its resources. “I must be very careful,” he said, “because I have, after all, not seen a great many games during this tour and it would be rash to offer too many judgments. “But I would say that while I think Rugby here is good and sound and very strong it could, perhaps, be even stronger. ECONOMICAL RUGBY

“The type of Rugby played with very strong forwards and a first five-eighths kick-

ing ahead to keep the forwards in the game is economical and safe and, because it wins many matches, it might be thought to be the right Rugby. “But, if I may venture a criticism, Rugby is meant to be a team game for 15 men and under the style which is being practised in New Zealand, at least against us, this point is being forgotten. BACKS EXCLUDED “Because it is a game there must be an element of adventure in the way it is approached and in the mental attitude of the player. “However, there is a tendency here to exclude this element. I have always considered New Zealand to be a

country of great running backs. With the forwards that you have at the moment such players ought to be more readily available than ever before. “But how can you develop backs if you do not give them the ball? And how can you criticise backs if, for a long time, you do not give them aht ball and when you do give it to them find that they cannot run with it as you think they ought to? “A kicking attack by the five-eighths may be very necessary and helpful and you may win the game through it. “But, just to take an example from close at hand, I would think it possible that the All Blacks might have scored more points with the wind in the first half on Saturday if they had run the ball instead of kicking it.” FAITH IN ATTACK Mr Louw expressed the strongest faith in a team determined to put the ball through its back-line at the very first opportunity in any game. This gave the backs, he said, not only a chance to get the feel of the ball, a most necessary thing if a running game were contemplated, but it also gave the backs a chance to weigh up the qualities of the opposition from the way the opposing players went about the business of defence. Any team of experience, especially a touring team, soon got to know its own strengths and limitations and took all care to expose the one and conceal the other. What was of concern was the actual or potential quality of the other side and this could be best gauged by taking the ball in hand and by seeing how the opponents performed, whether they seemed to have weaknesses and what plans could be made for exploitation of these.