Initiation Day For Many Players

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 13

Initiation Day For Many Players

More than 750 boys in the under-sst grades were graded in the opening games of the lower grade Rugby competition on Saturday and for many of that number it was their initiation to the national game.

At that level, experience la the guideline for grading—those who have played before are graded ahead of those making their first appearance. In the other grades It Is more a case of ability to play the game. In general on grounds made soft from rain, most players entered robustly Into the spirit of the game and Hagley Park was ablate with colour and excitement.

The most interesting feature of this day was the initiation. One game between Marist-St Mary's andMerivalePapanul was remarkable for the innocence of the participants. For these boys, the, game seemed to bear some' resemblance to a cowboy! film. There were brave, bold bids for glory (a try in theiri first match); and often the' shrill sound of a war-cry as the cavalry thundered to the rescue of a fallen comrade. There is no more terrifying sight for a boy playing In his first Rugby match than that of the ball coming straight at him. One player, despite his best intentions, actually found the ball in bis hands; he sensibly elected to run away from the opposition and having covered the ground from half-way to his nwn 25-yard line at a fast clip, suddenly delivered the perfect dive pass to a team mate who was confining his activities to that quarter of: the field. Danie Craven might not have approved the tactics, but he'd have loved the dive pass! A hitter first lesson for the’ beginner comes with the) question of authority when| the referee offers the “scrum-' or-lineout" option. ONLY! THE CAPTAIN ANSWERS.! For those youthful idealists who think that democracy and the freedom of individual choice extends to Saturday morning Rugby, the answer is. No! Although everyone comes in the same car and shares the same oranges at half time, the captain still remains the supreme authority. In the under 5-stone grade, despite the preponderance of! untried players, there are several who have the greatf' advantage of experience. One'! nf these is Lyttelton’s Hector l Thorpe, who is captain of his! side in his third year in the grade. Although he is some-1 what restricted through being : a hooker, his fiery bursts inji the loose are a great encour-

agement to the younger members of his team.

1 For some years now much consideration has been given to the question of whether boys of such tender years should be introduced to such a complex and demanding game. The referees, who are probably in the best position to judge on this issue, are divided in their opinions. One. who is a schoolteacher, is conscious of the eager anticipation which marks Fridays at school and Saturdaybefore the match, suggesting that the boys do want to play; yet another, feels that ' even within a weight grade, the difference in physical strength between boys of different ages, makes the congest unfair, besides which ■the boys find the rules far :too confusing and limiting. [Although this controversy 'will continue, there would appear to be room for closer attention to the question of age restriction within a weight grade. Tactical Contrasts The under 6st 71b grading matches were a more serious and skilled affair. Severs] tactical contrasts with the sst grade were apparent The heavier and older boys are far more aware of the rules governing offside and scrummaging; their kicking has more purpose and their back movements are often quite polished. However, both grades had one fault in common—the reliance on head high tackles which can be very dangerous. Coaches and referees were unanimous i in their efforts to eliminate 'these spoiling tactics. ! The under 6st 71b match ! between Martst - Xavier and Sydenham was most exciting. Until well into the second half the match was scoreless. Finally the more experienced and cohesive Sydenham side took the lead with some sophisticated back movements. However, spectators were loud in their praise of the younger Marist side whose resistance was always spirited, especially in the forward exchanges. Two other teams to impress in this grade were Sumner -who displayed great mobility I tn the forwards and some fise 'handling amongst the backs: Shirley also won handsomely and fielded a good attacking ’first five-eighth in Riki I Williams who ran soundly and gave his outsides a good, fast service. However, the day belonged

to those who had never played in a Rugby match before. For them the experience was bewildering, exciting or sometimes terrifying, but the vast majority seemed to draw extreme satisfaction from their first Rugby venture— Michael Morrison, who considered he was slightly taller than a yard ruler and who locks the scrum for Albion D, “loved” it: Paul Dunn, who is five years old and plays for Burnside C, also enjoyed it and was very proud of the mud he carried on his shorts and legs as trophies of battle. Although there will be some who feel they are not quite ready for Rugby, the majority would: find an able spokesman in! Albion D's Graham Whittaker. who. upon being inter-1 rupted and asked what he| thought of his first game: sighed, “everything—now can I I go back and kick that ball! again?"