RUGBY FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 175, 12 April 1923, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ABOUT THE NEXT INTERNATIONAL TOUR

“LEAN YEAR FOR ENGLAND”

While English Rugby circles are stimulated at the news of a tour of New Zealanders to Great Britain in 1924 or 1925, England is in for a lean period, as regards the quality of her international Rugby representatives, while Sootland and Ireland are concentrating on tho encouragement of youth, according to the view expressed by “Touch Judge,” of “Sporting Life,’’ who is regarded as the Ibadiug Rugby critic in England. The announccnient a few dayh ago that there is a possibility of a New Zealand team visiting the Mother Country in the winter of 1924 or 1925 is one that will be received with Satisfaction by enthusiasts (says Touch Judge”). Unfortunately, the Rugby Union appears disinclined to take’the public into its confidence in such matters, but no doubt we shall hear something definite from New Zealand in course of time. The fact is, m the nex’t few seasons we are likely to pass through a lean time, so sar as our effectiveness In the international tournament is concerned. The retirement of Roth IV. J. A. Davies and C. A. Kershaw, the possibility that Cyril Lowe, E. Myers, A. M._ Smallwood, KEdwards, and F. Giloert no longer will bo seen in the international side, will ot course .make a considerable differcnco to our representation. How, for instance, we are to replace Davies and Kershaw passes my comprehension. But, apart, from this, it' is obvious to many sound judges ot the game tnat our present tactics, certainly behind tfhe scrum, are not sound, i While - after the war other nations J were labouring under the difficulty of forming new combinations from, limited sources- ■ Scotland in particular being severely handicapped in this respect—the tactics displayed by “England 1921 V'ere singularly successful. In 1922 and this season the almost feverish anxiety of some of our players to throw the ball here, there, and everywhere, regardlees of all danger, was, and is, disquieting. And, again, in the circumstances that have prevailed, goodness knows where we should have been but for the two Naval half-backs.

Facts To Be Faced. So far as England is concerned, we have to face these facts: ' Without Davies and Kershaw w* shall meet in 1924 a Scottish side that undoubtedly will be formidable in the extreme. In two years’ time the present: Irish side —inexperienced in these days, but with such pace and enthusiasm that they are bound to develop—will cause us considerable trouble. The next two years may see a revival of the typical Welsh game behind the scrum. Both the Scottish and tho Irish authorities have concentrated on the encouragement of youth. In this they, have been successful, and they will guon meet with their reward. We have done nothing of the sort .in the matter of our national side. We have persisted in playing those who are on the verge of retirement, and the result is inevitable- When the youth of Scotland and Ireland are in their prime, with several seasons before them, we shall be faced with the position ot having to replace possibly more than half the present English team with those of whom little or no encouragement has been offered. This may be An unpalatable truth, but it is a fact that cannot be disputed. Take the team to-day. We have a great pack—and Davies and Kershaw. Who else is there to give us a feeling of confidence? Frankly, the “passing” of our two half-backs —while leaving a deplorable gap' in the game—is going to be a very good thing fcr England. . We shall 'at once realise our limitations, and we shall have to start from tne very foundation—encourage our youth, remodel our tactics, and this is where -a visit of the- New Zealand side may prove of inestimable We all remember how, in 1905, the All 81-icjis revolutionised the game over ’here, ivithing previously, or since, has been seen quite like them, although in W. A. Millar’s side from South Africa —tho team that achieved the record of winning all its international matches'in turn against England, Scot-' land. Ireland, Wales, and Francetaught us much that we knew not before. Dominion’s Team Work.

It may well be that another Dominion side may be equally successful in proving to us that team work and not absolute reliance on individual brilliance is primarily essential for continued success. Take ' “England 1923” again. What possible chance should we have against Scotland on March 17 in the absence of Davies and Kershaw? Theru is no team work behind the scrum, and there is no question that a slight decrease in the effectiveness of Davies and Kershaw spoils certain disaster. It is not good enough. In the Welsh match Davies was not 'at his best in attack. The result, was that our tlhrcequarters, who directly, they, had a veritable gale of wind in their favour should have run the Welsh defence to a standstill, signally failed.. In the Irish match at Leicester Davies, brilliant in all he did, made our threequarters score a series of spectacular tries. The fact is, our centre threequarters are obsessed with a desire to cut through at the expense, of combination, or, in other words, of teamwork. I havo no‘doubt at all what will happen at Inverleith if Davies and Kershaw are for any reason prevented from playing. Who is there to take their places ? Lawton under a cloud cannot do so. It would then-be a case of Young, Millington, Considine, and Francis, and frankly, what possible chance have any two of this four making Lowe, Myers, Corbett, and Smallwood play sufficiently well to outwit those speedy, rel able Scottish threequarters? It means certain defeat. This is why I should welcome a visit from either the All Blacks or the Springboks during the next two seasons. It appears to me essential that wo should have a series of unwelcome shocks. If we are to improve on our present-day policy .we must encourage the youth of England to> play Rugby football as it should he play<V, and it may well be that one of these Dominion sides will revolutionise the game. At present, ns fflayed by England, it is unsatisfactory.