Wise Decision On Proposed Rugby Law

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 11

Wise Decision On Proposed Rugby Law

rpHE decision of tiie New A Zealand Rugby Union Council to forward only one suggested change in the laws to the International Rugby Board—replacements for injured players—probably is a wise one. The council discussed several proposals which covered the kick into touch rule, scrums, line-out and off-side. But it decided that there was not a great deal of merit in pushing for further changes to the laws, particularly as in 1963 there had been sweeping changes. It was felt that even now many of these changes had not been fully . appreciated and ab-

sorbed by the players. One suggestion which provoked considerable discussion was that the halfback should be stopped from coming around the scrum and harrying his opposite. <Mr C. K. Saxton claimed that if the half-back was protected it would only help the incompetent player who was not able to clear the ball quickly. But the major discussion was on the kick into touch rule. Mr S. L. Burk told council members that there was certain to be considerable support for allowing players to kick the ball out on the full only from inside

their own twenty-fives. The Home Unions, after seeing the bright Play hy the Australians last season, felt that their good back play came from the running and passing under the '“kick into touch” dispensation they were allowed, said Mr Burk. However, there was little support for the Auckland proposal that support should be given to the twenty-five rule. Mr T. C. Morrison perhaps summed up the feeling of the majority when he said that when it was tried before in New Zealand the standard of forward play fell off.

That ominous statement was enough for the motion to be defeated by 15 votes to two.