Eight-Man Line-out May Be Discarded

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31521, 8 November 1967, Page 23

Eight-Man Line-out May Be Discarded

SWANSEA. It is not entirely a flight of fancy that the line-out of eight men a side which has been standard in world Rugby for so long, could disappear from the game, at least for the duration of the All Blacks present tour of the British Isles.

During the second half of the match between New Zealand and England at Twickenham on Saturday. England when having thrown in five or six times, peeled four and five men from the line and left only three or four.

iE. Meads to push, barge or knock men out of the line, or I in these ways prevent them legitimately attempting to jump for the ball, is not approved, and significance could attach to the fact that Meads was not much used by the All Blacks as a catcher against England. But there would be warm dispute of the contention also made later that the best English jumper was held by the jersey or pants while another arm was swept across his face to prevent him from making a leap. The All Blacks strongly contend that the England captain, P. E. Judd and the prop, A. L. Horton, are as skilled at wedging and blocking as anyone they have encountered. All this is disturbing, but the interesting point is the belief now strongly held by senior officials in England that the only way to combat the All Blacks at the line-out is to reduce the number in the line to three, or at the most, four men. It will be interesting, also, to see whether this tactic, which is not without considerable possibilities, is also employed by other countries.

The team won the ball from all but one of these manoeuvres.

t These are harsh words but they have been seen in newspaper reports and they have (been heard in after-match j conversations. One of the most distinjguished figures in British | sport, and a man with no I axe to grind in Rugby, said |on Saturday night: “Much as ; I admire the All Blacks, and i I think they are wonderful players, I must tell you that in the match today things (went on in the line-out which were offensive to the spirit (of the game. [ “You New Zealanders are ;too good to need to descend ito this sort of stuff. I was i appalled. I wish your chaps I did not do it” One need say no more than that this man represents the best in British sportsmanship. How revelant then, or fair, are the criticisms? It has been privately adImitted in the All Blacks party since early in the tour that I the tendency of men like C.

These were planned opera- j tions and. regrettably, they were an expression of the criticisms strongly voiced I since the All Blacks made} their first appearance and! which were audible in many j quarters on Saturday night. ' The basis of the criticisms! is that the All Blacks so skil-' fully practice obstruction at the line-out that in effect they > are deliberately infringing i the law—in other words they! are cheating.