Importance of penalty kicks deplored

Press, 29 July 1976, Page 30

Importance of penalty kicks deplored

From T. P. McLEAN Durban

Archaic attitudes of the International Rugby Board need changing to ensure the future of the game, according to the president of the South African Rugby Board (Dr Danie Craven;

Dr Craven, who has been a member of the International Board for many years, considers the importance now attached to kicks at goal is seriously affecting the quality of rugby, because the constant intrusion of penalty kicks limits the amount of time the players can devote to the game itself.

“I am sorry the All Blacks suffered defeat in the first test last Saturday because of a. disputable penalty called against them.” Dr Craven said. “I am sorry, too. that the New Zealand Rugby Union refused our offer of neutral referees for these tests.”

It is true enough that the Scotsman, Mr Norman Sanson, who came to South Africa last year to referee two matches against the French awarded a great number of penalty kicks, about 35 in one match, and so great a number naturally reduced the playing time of the match considerably.

But Mr Sanson was not a South African as is Mr lan Gourlay, who refereed the first test, and so no imputations could be made against Mr Sanson as they might be after last Saturday. “What I deplore particularly is the importance of penalty’ kicks — and this is where" I think the International Board is well out of step,” said Dr Craven. “Had Gerald Bosch for South Africa and Bryan Williams for New Zealand kicked all goals last Saturday, the score in the match would have been very high, much too high in terms of the close contest of the match itselL

"I have tried for years to have all kicks at goal reduced to two points,” Dr Craven said.

“I also object to the amount of time spent on kicking at goal — each attempt these days takes about a minute/’ he said. “The effect can be that the players feel they are never getting to grips with either game or themselves and they become frustrated. Wasting time is going on all the time. “It might be that the game would become exhaustingly fast if kicks at goal were fewer and players had to concentrate on moving the ball,” Dr Craven said, “but if that situation developed it could be dealt with. “In the meantime, I feel sure the International Board should accept that good rugby is try-scoring rugby, not goal-kicking rugby, and it should attempt to vary or modify the laws of the game to bring about this change,” he said.