A FAREWELL MESSAGE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 306, 20 September 1921, Page 6

A FAREWELL MESSAGE

SPRINGBOKS’ MANAGER INTERVIEWED WHERE NEW ZEALAND LOSES OUT INDIVIDUAL V. THE TEAM i “We cannot understand why New Zealand claims the championship of the world,” remarked Mr. H. C. Bennett, manager of the Springboks, to a Dominion reporter yesterday, in the course of a farewell message to Zealand.’ "It lias," In? continued, "tickled us immensely. We always maintain that until New Zealand beats us she has got no right to the champfonship, and vice versa." Mr. Bennett went on to express, on behalf of tho South Africans, their hearty appreciation for the way the people of New Zealand had treated them throughout tho whole tour, and. questioned about the possibility of a return visit, he said: "There. is no question about it that New Zealand will receive an invitation to visit South Africa very shortly. I am not, however, in favour of a programme being laid down at present, as to when these visits between the two countries should take place.” What do you think of. New Zealand’s style of play? the reporter asked. "We are convinced that our style is better," was the reply. “I will refer first to scrum formation, which is the main thing. We are in this connection all satisfied that our stylo is tho more elastic one, and wo 'can vary our tactics to a greater extent than the New Zealand formation allows. Secondly, I think that, apart from the style and methods of play, there is "not much to choose between the forwards of South Africa and New Zealand, but I do think that on the whole our back play is better than New Zealand’s, is at present.” THE ROOT OF THE EVIL. Coming on top of the condemnation of the wing-forward by Mr. Bosword, manager of the New South Wales team which recently toured the. Dominion, added interest is lent Mr. Bennett’s comment on the same subject. "There is," ho remarked, rr no doubt about it that the latitude allowed to your wing-forwards does adversely affect your back play. The wing-forward is a spoiler, purely and simply, and be is allowed to play too much off-side. We feel that this could be remedied by referees under existing rules, for if he. is kept on side he would not be such a spoiler.’ _ Another weakness? queried the reporter. "Well, vour backs seem to play too much according to instructions issued prior to the match by coaches and trainers It seems, for instance, to he a set idea, hero that the first five-eighths must make the opening, and that if he can’t ho must kick. It is only where he makes an opening that he allows the ball to get out to the wings. If these tactics were varietl during the course of the game it would naturally set the opposition thinking, but where the same old set rules are followed it is quite ersy for a set of good defensive backs to upset any move on the part of the fiveeigliths to make an opening. Every opponent knows exactly what is coming. Another negative feature of thb practice is that it tends to destroy a' team s initiative. A further result of your formation and general style of play is that natnrajly you must encourage the individual to the neglect of teapi work. SELECTORS CRITICISED. “To put it broadly, one thing that struck us in regard to your selection of teams is that you seam to select a man because he is a brilliant player, irrespective t>f whether he can play well in any one position or combine well with the team generally. When we select a team we look more to the team as a whole rather than individual brilliance." Mr. Bennett, continuing, cited several instances in support of his criticism of the New Zealand selectors methods and one case in point mentioned bv ’him was that of a member of(the All Blacks’ rearguard in Saturday s match. j Interesting reference was next made by Mr. Bennett to the, interpretation of certain rules during the tour. "I don t think," he said, "that we have been ■treated, quite fairly in this coujitry. Me came out here knowing that wo were up against different interpretations of the rules as we played them, but at the same time we have tried to play South African football. There are certain offences which are treated more seriously in New Zealand than they are in South Africa, and we have been criticbed in almost every match without any excuse being made for us. Nearly every criticism of us has contained reference to illegal play in forwatd rushes and loose scrums. Out forwards it is said, are always getting off-side. Me have all been criticised as if this was done deliberately, whereas it is due really io the differences in refereeing South Africa and New Zealand. Our difficulty is that while you allow your wing-for- • wc*;ls to play off-aide, and generally give them considerable latitude, your referees are very, very strict in regard to off-side in a loose rush. Wo have never been given credit for these differences in methods: We have simply been accused of illegal play. 0 DEFINING A TACKLE.

“The same thing can be said 1 in regard to hanging on to the ball. We contend that your referees do not give due consideration to. the definition of a tackle. A man is not tackled unless ho is so held that he can’t play or pass. Yet we have been penalised very often for hanging on to the ball when the player has been held but not tackled according to the strict definition. These are two of our grievances in this respect.’’ Mr Bennett had a warm word of praise for the sportsmanship of the New Zealand public. Never had he encountered such enthusiastic supporters) of Rugby. “We have never had a visiting team in South Africa that has raised the enthusiasm that the Springboks did in New Zealand,” he remarked. “We ns a race are perhaps more phlegmatic than' you are, but we do look upon Rugby as our national game.” ALL BLACK TRAINER INTERVIEWED ’ A LUCKY FOUR-MINUTE SPELL. Mr. T. IV. Leslie, trainer of the All Blacks, said of the men whom he had under his control for ten days at Day’s Bay that their behaviour was exceptional. He had never been concerned with so fine a body of men, and he considered them a credit to the Dominion. Every evening it was the practice for the manager (Mr. Griffiths), the Selection Committee, anT himself to_ get together nnd arrange a rota of training for the next day, and that rota was adhered to to tho letter by every man. ; "I have been accused of being an optimist. I am! No trainer should be anything else. He must impress on his charges that they can iwin if they will train properly, and that they did not win I attribute to tho awful state of tho ground. The public did not get a chance to see tho speed and nippiness of Ifworson and Fea, two of the finest five-eighths.that over kicked a ball. And Steel—a wonderful man of great strength and speed. He can break 10 1-5 seconds over the 100 yards. On such a ground high speed was impossible. As to the condition of the men, I leave that to tho public to judge. Tho real test of condition was tho final twenty min*

utes, when our men were slashing into it as though they had just started. "I don’t mind saying now that the four or five minutes' spell which occurred in the second half, when one of the Greens was knocked out, was in favour of the Springboks. I would go so far as to say that if an injured man is not to bo replaced, then the game should not be stopped for such a length of time when one of them is injured. There should only be a minute’s wait to get the player to the ambulance men, and the game should bo resumed. It is not fair to penalise a side that has stood up to the Battle to allow a five minutes’ spell at what was probably the most crucial period' of the game. _ _ Mr. Leslie claims that the condition of tho All Blacks justified the elaborate training arrangements. Incidentally he would like to pay a tribute to tho manager (Mr. Griffiths) for his fine sportsmanship and admirable control over the men. CONGRATULATIONS FROM ARAWAS By Telegraph —Press Association. Rotorua, September 19. Tho Arawas has telegraphed ns follows to Mr. Bennett“Honours easy regarding Test matches. Congratulate you on”success of tour. Take opportunity of saying good-bye and wishing you well.” NEW SOUTH WALES MATCH CANCELLED (Rec. September 19. 8.10 p.m.) . Sydney, September 19. ’l'he Springboks have sent a cable message to the Rugby Union cancelling tho match against New South Wales for 1 Saturday nextv—Brass Assn.