REVOLUTIONALISE BACK PLAY N.Z. Urged To Set World Standard

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31159, 8 September 1966, Page 19

REVOLUTIONALISE BACK PLAY N.Z. Urged To Set World Standard

{From 1. J. D. HALL) AUCKLAND.

“If New Zealand was prepared to develop its back play to the same high efficiency as its forward play it could cause a revolution in world Rugby: and it would be a peaceful revolution for it is what everyone wants,’’ said the manager of the British Lions (Mr D. J. O’Brien )yesterday.

“You have beaten the Springboks, beaten us at home and beaten the Lions here. “Now it is the. All Blacks who should be setting the standard for the rest of the Rugby-playing nations by showing that back play is still an important. and also the most entertaining, part of Rugby.” Mr O'Brien said he had untold admiration for the dedication of New Zealand Rugby and the supreme efficiency of its forward play, but he wondered whether enough emphasis had been placed on back play. SPARTAN FASHION “1 am not saying you do not use your backs, but you use them in such Spartan fashion that it takes some of the brightness out of Rugby. Efficiency can become dull. “The use of backs to take the tackle rather than beat! the tackle is one thing which I has surprised me here. We may not do it as well as we would like, but we do encourage our backs to try and beat their man by skills such as side-steps, swerves, dummy scissors, feints. “In New Zealand, the sole use of the backs seems to be to make play for the forwards to create those horrid words ‘secondary phase Rugby.’ “With your great forward strength, which seems uniform throughout the country, you should be developing your back play to such an extent that other countries are copying you. “As it is, many persons have said, longingly, to me on this tour, they wish they could see the Lions backs behind the All Black pack.” Rather wistfully, Mr O'Brien pondered for a moment, and then added: “1 would not mind seeing David Watkins, Mike Gibson and Dewi Bebb playing behind your pack, either.” FULL-SCALE USE Mr O’Brien agreed that the All Blacks had tried to use their backs in the tests, but he still felt that their play was trammelled. As for provincial games, he had to search hard to remember a team which adopted as its policy the full-scale use of its backs.

He asked if the Rugby he had seen so far was the pattern throughout New Zealand. Assured that basically it was, he said: “1 understand that most of your coaches are forwards. “If there is not to be this imbalance between forwards and backs in New Zealand it might well help if more backs were given authority as coaches.”

Asked why the Lions backs, with possibly their superior skills, had not made a greater impact during the tour, Mr O’Brien said he felt it was through lack of confidence after some of the buffetings the team had received earlier in the tour.

“Then things went wrong. The forwards had their problems and accordingly the play of the backs suffered. When we got to the stage when the forwards were holding their own, the backs still seemed to lack confidence and continued making fundamental errors. “Sadly enough, it was the type that might have cost us the third test and possibly the second also. Mr O'Brien agreed that the aggressive defence of many New Zealand teams had upset the Lions backs. “Players such as Ken Young. David W’atkins and Mike Gibson like to balance themselves before trying to beat an opponent or create a gap. Here they found they had no room in which to move because the opposing backs, and forwards often, were up on them so quickly. “Because Rugby became such close-quarters stuff they | did not function so well and it is only now that Gibson [and Watkins are showing the form we expected of them.” Asked if he thought the Lions made a tactical error by neglecting their backs too much while trying to restore their forward play, Mr

O’Brien agreed. But he added that it was hard to achieve both at the same time. “We had to have our forwards playing better to give our backs more chances, but while the forwards were improving the backs never quite did the things we hoped for. So occasionally there had to be a transfer of allegiance." PHYSICAL CONTACT Mr O’Brien was not to be drawn on rough play, but he did say he was sick of the words "Rugby is a game of physical contact.”

“Of course it is, but not solely to the exclusion of everything else. Physical contact cannot explain away many of the things that have happened in our matches. “To be sure Rugby must have physical contact, but that is only a small part of the game. Basically it is a game in which you beat your opponent by skill not by running over the top of him. “I have been taken aback 'by some of the tough Rugby here. 1 won't say rough Rugby, he added, with a wry smile. j He said that he would be taking back to Britain reports [on and comments in "The 'Press” on rough Rugby.