RULES OF RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 147, 18 March 1931, Page 9

RULES OF RUGBY

Serious Faults Found In Modern System CRITICS PERTURBED For some time past Rugby administrators throughout the world have been alive to the fact that it is urgently necessary for the good of the game to return to legitimate rules. # Modern scrummages more resemble a bear fight than a game, and the trouble has been caused by an instruction from the International Board that the ball must be placed in the scrum, a ruling which is not to be found in the rule book. An article by Percy Rudd in a recent issue of the London “NewsChronicle” entitled “What’s Wrong with Rugby Football?” has aroused lively interest in England, and has drawn opinions from famous figures in the Rugby game. Wakefield’s Views. “Rugby football-is not under a cloud and there is really nothing wrong with the game,” was the view expressed by W. W. Wakefield, who has played 31 times for England and was captain of . the English team in the famous match against the AU Blacks at Twickenham on January 3, 1925. “If we have had some dull internationals recently, our club matches are all right. I’ve refereed many this season, and generally things have gone as smoothly as a marriage bell. “A lot of nonsense is being, talked and written just now about the wing-forward being a menace to the game. He’s nothing of the sort. “The whole trouble in those dull and deary internationals has been, in my opinion, due to the instruction of the International Board that the ball should ba ‘placed’ in the scrum and not thrown in. (This is an instruction only and is not in the rule book.) Redrafting Needed. “Putting the ball into the scrum slowly inevitably leads to slow heeling, with the result that, when the ball does come out, the scrum half is smothered before he can get it away. “That is what happened in the last two international matches at Twickenham, and people have been blaming the wingforwards in consequence. “I agree with Mr. Rudd that the rule which governs hooking needs redrafting. It is a mathematical impossibility to say when the ball has passed both feet of the outside men. The ball. is. really fairly in the scrum as soon as it is in the tunnel. “As a referee, the. chief thing I concern myself about is to see that the middle man of the front row on either side does not cross his feet with those of his opposite player before the ball is “If the ball is thrown in hard and the outside man follows it in with his foot, the result is a quick heel and then no wing-forward or scrum-half on earth can prevent the ball being got away to the backs. Task of Few Minutes. “If I were refereeing an international match I should stand by the rule boos and advise the scrum half to throw the ball into the scrum as hard as he could. “This question of how to get the baL into the serum is best determined by forwards and scrum halves. When threequarters start fiddling with it they on y make thinks worse. I could draft a rule in a few minutes which I would guarantee to work satisfactorily. “I am definitely against any. alteration of the law which would restrict the opportunities of wing forwards. If yon made them keep on their own side ot the scrum until the ball is out you would be encouraging slow and slovenly heeling, and surely we don’t want to do that. Eternal Scrum Trouble. “I heartily agree with Mr. Rudd that the laws are at fault, and a considerable improvement could be made by forbidding the middle men of the front row in the scrum from using his near foot,’ was the opinion expressed by R. Cove-Smith, who has made 29 appearances for England. < “As I first played the game we always used the far foot, and were consequently better able to ‘hook,’ instead of merely jabbing at the ball with the near foot, as is done so frequently nowadays. “It seems to me that the day of the wing-forward is over, and that the obstructionist now reigns supreme. “There is too much dependence on tne idea that a wing-forward is there |o ‘look after* his own scrum half. The only wav he can do this is by obstruction. “Oux aim should be concentrated on constructive tactics and enterprising Play > not upon illegal and dismal methods of defence.” ________