Four-point try starts

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 30

Four-point try starts

(From

MICHAEL ROBSON,

N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

LONDON. The four.point try came into operation this week when the club Rugby season opened in Britain on Wednesday. It is the first scoring change since the dropped goal came down in value from four to three points in 1948-49.

The four-point try will be used on an experimental basis in the Northern Hemisphere for the next two years, and adopted in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand next season. No binding decision on its future will be made before the international board meeting in 1973.

When the board decided to revalue the try at its meeting in Britain earlier this year, it was made clear the decision was to take the emphasis off the penalty goal as a method of scoring and reward the team that was prepared to play attacking Rugby. In general, the reaction to the move has been favourable, although there are still advocates of down-grading the penalty to two points or

awarding differentia] penalties according to the seriousness of the offence.

One aspect of the fourpoint try which has not gone unnoticed in the British press is that fact that, if it had been in operation during the recent tour of New Zealand, the Lions would have been robbed of their success in the test rubber, losing the last international, 15-16, instead of coming out with a 14-14 draw. No big tour There is no major tour of Britain this season—Canada is making a brief visit to Wales later this month—so international attention will focus on the Triple Crown matches in the New Year. Wales, which carried all before it last season, must start as the team to beat. Men such as G. O. Edwards, B. John, S. Dawes, T. G. R. Davies, and P. R. Williams in the backs, and forwards like J. W. C. Taylor, T. M. Davies, and W. D. Thomas will provide the nucleus of an experienced fifteen. England is hopeful of improving on last year’s disastrous showing, and will be trying but a new selection

method. In the last few years, there has been no discernible pattern in the way English teams have been chosen, with players often discarded after only one game. This year, there will be regional trials involving players selected by local selection committees. These will be watched by a team of national selectors, who will chose teams for national trials to be held at Bristol and then at Twickenham. This should deal with a major complaint in the past that England teams have /been selected from too “narrow” a range of players. Scotland was full of potential last season, and besides getting the better of England twice, ulmost upset Wales in a game decided in the last minutes. C. M. H. Gibson and W. J. Mcßride will anchor the Irish team, but there must be a growing awareness in Ireland that these two players cannot play forever. As a prelude to the international season, England is off on a short tour of the Far East on September 18, but the party will not contain any of the New Zealand Lions. To go along with the revo-

lution of the four-point try, a club knock-out cup competition will be held in England and Wales for the first time this season. In the past, administrators have strenously resisted efforts to begin any competition similar to soccer’s famous F.A. Cup, but have at last succumbed to the obviously crowd-pulling idea of finding a national club champion. At least 43 clubs will take part in the competition, with regional winners going forward to a 16-club draw. The cup final will be held at Twickenham on April 29 and a “full house” is expected. There is little doubt that this year’s Rugby season is destined to be a success.

The enthusiasm aroused by the Lions’ triumphant deeds in New Zealand was amply illustrated by the riotous welcome home the players received at Heathrow last month.

Although most of the Lions have swom off competition for at least a couple of months, their success will no doubt be a talking point, and every player will be out to emulate the new standards which have now been set in British Rugby.