Rugby History Made

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 15

Rugby History Made

(Specially written for “The

»specialty Press” by

H. J. MORTLOCK)

Dr. H. C. Burry, the former Canterbury and All Black No. 8 forward, now doing research into sports medicine at Guy’s Hospital, London, has made a little piece of Rugby history without quite realising it.

Burry—and New Zealanders might find this difficult to believe—was the first coach to be officially appointed to a first-class English Rugby club. Coaching and coaches, of course, are still frowned on in Britain. Recently Burry told me of his unique position in British Rugby.

“I came to London about a year ago and that summer Guy’s Hospital (one of the oldest Rugby clubs in the world) asked if I would play for them.

“I offered instead to help out with the coaching and later they approached me and asked me to be their coach. Although we could not get together properly until midNovember because of the students’ staggered holidays, it was immediately obvious

that they were not in the habit of 15-aside training. “By New Zealand standards the players also fell short in the required physical fitness. If they were a bit short of breath they stopped running. Neither had they grasped the importance of second-phase Rugby. “It seems their traininf in the past had consisted of a few lineouts from which they ran the ball to the wings while the forwards stood and watched. “I was committed to playing the running game because our pack was too light to control opposing forwards. Fortunately I had a wonderful captain in C. Thorburn (a Scottish trialist flanker), and being intelligent fellows they quickly caught on to any moves I tried.” Most Successful

Burry’s coaching has been extraordinarly successful. In the season just ended here in England Guy's Hospital enjoyed its best season since 1922 and scored wins over such notable clubs as Bedford, Gloucester, and Cheltenham.

“I will probably return to New Zealand at the end of the next year,” said Burry, “and given the time and opportunity I would dearly love to continue coaching at home. “It gives an enormous amount of pleasure thinking about Rugby and working with Rugby players. Besides sports medicine I’m fascinated by physical fitness and the application of strategies to the game, and what Rugby can do to a player’s personality.

“I think that Rugby gives proper attitudes to life more than any other team game.” Burry, naturally, has some interesting observations on British Rugby. He disagrees that New Zealand Rugby is rougher.

“It’s very annoying to hear some of the things said about New Zealand Rugby. The British press has painted a picture that British players are a bunch of lilywhites. "Against Coventry (which beat Guys 32-8) and is rated by Burry as the best,club side he has seen), our hooker was dragged into their front row, trodden on and mauled. This would never happen in New Zealand.” Rules Trouble He is suspicious of British referees. “Unless the referees carry out the new ruling of the interantional board which, now makes it illegal to enter mauls except from behind the ball, the coming All Black tour will be full of disappointments. “I always make a habit of talking to referees after matches and they all agree with me that English players are allowed to lie on the ball, work it free with their hands, stand offside from mauls, and bore in the front row. “The amazing thing Is that although the referees agree these things go on, they all say ‘what can we do?’ “ “There is a tendency, too, for English backs to run across field but this is only because the back-rows are standing up waiting for the ball to be fed. “Bob rtuart found this in 1953-54, aiid that it was impossible to run the ball in this sort of skirmishing Rugby.” Of the All Blacks* prospects in Britain later this year, Burry said: Still Vulnerable “English players are still vulnerable to aggressive tightloose play. They are defensively weak against driving play with the ball on the ground. “I’m sure, though, that their goal-kicking has improved. It doesn’t appear unsporting to kick penalties any more in England. “I’m convinced that with Saxton and Allen in charge the All Blacks will be full of ideas about running the ball. Even so. New Zealand has no cause to feel embarrassed about its Rugby. They can be defensively minded in Britain, too.”