RUGBY FOOTBALL REVIEW

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 184, 3 May 1934, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL REVIEW

Comment on Play and Players

HOOKING LAWS STILL UNDER FIRE

By

“Poster."

Though only two series of club games have been played this season it is abundantly clear that the scrummage rules relating to the hooking of the ball are going to cause much bother to players and referees and have the eltcct of marring many games. lhe controversy as to when the ball can be hooked is raging again and those who are more disturbed than anyone are the referees, themselves. I The point seems to have been overlooked that, after all, rules, while most necessary in games, are merely tee theoretical basis on which those controlling such games have to work. lhat our referees generally have attempted to apply too technical an interpretation to the scrummage laws is without doubt. I was discussing this problem with one of our most prominent referees a few davs ago and he offered the opinion that almost every law in the rule book could be overridden by some other law. and that there was one great over-riding law which should be superior to them all—that ot common sense. Most people -will agree with him. Referees who endeavour, vainly, to apply a strictly technical interpretation of the laws of Rugby find themselves whistling a solo while the nlaveis look on in dismay. After all it should not matter a great deal what foot in the serum hooks the ball so long as the ball is fairly in with equal opportunity for either side to claim it- This can only be achieved if the feet in either row remain on the ground while the ball is being rolled in by the halfback. Once the ball has reached (he middle of the serum it should be/the prerogative of either side to have a hook at it with any foot capable of getting there first. Actually the intention of the rule which specified what foot the ball could be hooked With was to ensure that the side feet remain passive to allow the ball to reach the middle of the front row of the scrummage. At the end of last season I invited the opinions of half a dozen international front rank forwards,, men who have played for New Zealand over a fairly long period, on the new scrummage laws and without exception they favoured a return to the old order of what might be termed “open slather.” In other words they declare that so long as the half-back Buts the ball fairly into the scrum the hookers should have an unrestricted contest for possession and . invariably the best man will win. The referee is still the governing party to see that it is wo'n by fair tactics. This would favour the side which marshalled its front rank ouieklv and was first down to the scrum, because the.side which is first down gets the better sight of the ball when it comes in and I have always maintained that the side which gets down first is entitled to any advantage it may derive from its initial heave.

Ultra-Orthodoxy. The 1 exhibition of Rugby provided by the Wellington and Poneke teams :it Athletic Park on Saturday was too ultraorthodox to arouse more than ordinary interest among the. moderate attendance which patronised the game. The game Was merely a replica of what we have come to expect in club Rugby these dnj’s —the misguided craze for safety-kicking and a complete absence of the surprise element: in attack which makes the spice of football.- Players these days seem ,to overlook that the glory‘of Rugby is running with the ball, and none of them appear to be disciplined by their captain when they meekly part with possession by kicking the ball down to the opposition. No doubt the competitive aspect of club Rugby has brought this about—the demand for those safety tactics which will bring about a win almost at any price. The glories of the ganie seem to be a very secondary consideration.

/ The most satisfying feature of the game was the improved, showing of trie Poneke forwards. Last season they lackdd fire and dash in their work ’, .they were a sluggish pack who left far too much to their backs, but this winter they have started off on a much brighter note and the introduction of four new men has. without question, been for the better.

The newcomers are Onglcy (from University), Hull (from Miramar), Todd (from Southland), and Pringle (from the club’s junior division). So far Pringle looks like being the best of the quartet. On Saturday he proved himself a firstclass scrummaging forward and he hat height and reach for line-out work. Todd was injured'half-way through the game, but up till the time he went off he gave a good showing. Ongley is apparently in the best of physical condition for, although doing more than hie share.in the tight rucking work he was up with the loose play, all day and his speed saw him in good position to score when the Wellington defences broke down through failure to field a high ball down the wind. The formation of the Poneke backs is still subject to revision and the club may have nn ininortant announcement to make in a few days regarding the acquisition of a new full-back from another province. Hatchard, who has filled the position so far, does not look robust enough for the position though.lie played gamely on Saturday under difficulties until an injury compelled his retirement. The club still has Barrett,, who looks a better full-back than a five-eighth. ,He filled the latter position in the first spell and was'serviceable without being very impressive. He has shown much belter defence as the last line than he did in the key position closer to the scrum. In the second sptdl he appeared to be more at home in his old position and Poneke may find it; prudent to keep him there, at least until the hoped-for man materialises. .' Barrett would probably fill the centre position quite capably,, which would mean moving Chcsterman un into • the fiveeighths line with Griffiths. The ex-East-bourne and Wairarapa man should be suited to five-eighths play. He is by far the most subtle attacking back .in the Poneke team, and has the speed and the physique for the position. Chesteririan's style of play suggests that he would make a good outside five-eighth. Wellington’s loss of 11. F. McLean to Grafton becomes more apparent each week. His inspired leadership and his knowledge of tactics gave the Wellington forwards confidence last winter mid they paved the way for some sparkling work by their backs. Against Poneke they played like a leaderless legion. Individually they grafted honestly, but without apparent purpose in their play. No harder workers could be desired than Hingston, Robson and Giles, but their efforts lacked co-ordination.

Darroch played as the loose forward on the end of the linc-out, but any skill he possesses in this direction was outmatched by Ward who filled a similar role for Poneke. Ward’s game was one of a very high standard, a typical wingforward game in fact, but more constructive than the old conception of wingforward play. Unlesg the Wellington pack can work up more devil in its play both on attack and defence, their backs will not get the opportunity of exploiting either their speed or their talents. Their threequarter line, Minns, R. Ball and Pryde, can match any similar trio in club football for pace, but tries cannot be scored without the ball.

Minn’s appearance for the first time on Athletic Park created great interest in view of his activities in England under the banner of Oxford University. Footballers of class are easily recognisable, and there was no mistaking the stamp of the footballer on everything that Mi.ins attempted. Pryde showed an abundance of speed on many occasions, once in particular when he sped across field to the opposite wing three-quarter to check a Poneke advance when the invaders had two men in the overlap when launching a left flank offensive. It is instances Such ns these that reveal an active Rugby mind. Trapp, a transfer from Petone. and formerly a 'senior player in Canterton, should get ample opportunity playing behind Kilby and Page. Poneke had the

Wellington inside backs well covered up on Saturday, but Trapp stood up to his job very stoutly and once or twice extricated the side from very difficult situatlOpage was playing below the. form we know he is capable, of, but-it is well to remind him that solidity as a quick link between the half-back and the second five-eighth should be the main plank in a first five-eighth’s policy. His handling c. the ball must be consistently, accurate and he should be an expert in giving perfect passes. These things we know Page can do, but an outside back’s game at the inside position will quickly throw supports out of gear. •

Tacticions v. Machine Men. Marist are a team bound to proceed from victory to victory as the season progresses so long as the players remain together. That is so in spite, it not because, of the runaway victory gained ny Hutt at Marist’s expense in the opening competition match. r Xhe remarkable point about most of the Marist players on the day against Old Boys-—and Marist backs and one or two ol the forwards are a young lot—was their ability to respond to adversities. They possess that rare quality which may be described as initiative and self-reliance, to suit the action according to actual circumstances rather than according to theory and rule of thumb. . , , In that connection there is a dangei likely always to be met arising out ot driujiing and disciplining fifteen fellows according to rigid precepts. Ihysical y fitted and adept players, by submitting to hard and fast precepts may be welded into a team functioning like clockwork. But that all supposes that hookers and lineout men can possess and feed to the machine the touchstone of the game—the Marist the condition precedent of Possession was not- met. The result was -that Marist players with self-reli-ance and ability to match the moment rather than the precept, eclipsed their opponents. . Old Boys, taken individually, in the opinion of the writer, do not measure up to a majority of the Marist players. It is not a question of speed, ot side-s-tep, of weight, reach, nor of any purely physical attribute, it is.a question of a player, in possession using possession neatly in a manner best calculated to promote the success or advantage of the team. Old Boys on Saturday many times behaved in their own twenty-five as though they were at a loss to decide how. to prosper their aims by using possession. Even in one’s own twenty-five,' possession of the ball with two yards start is a dangerous thing for the opposition—provided the possessor has football strategy as well as a mere leather bag bf wind. ' ■ ’ - , ■ , Coaches in Wellington must look to that phase of football as the next immediate step after securing physical fitness. The task of holding Old Boys’ players up to comparison with the remembered standards of the past and even present players is an invidious one, since the former lack what they do.' From the specific to the general, one flics to wonder how much, if any, attention i.s given that great text, book on “All Black” ‘Behaviourism, written by Stead and McGregor after the 1905 tour. So far as back play and general strategy are concerned —in all except wing-forward questions—it still is written in red letters. . The wind blew from the south, and it was an ill-wind for Old Boys, because Marist used it to better advantage. The players who impressed on the day were, first of all, O'Connor, the Marist half-back, . for his generalship and the Ayay he qsed the ball, in extremities, speedily to find touch, and in neutral moments to marshal the Marist forces where . Old Boys were’not, and L. McGreevy, a young, light, but speedy forward who, playing on trial his first gamens. a forward, reminded of H. McLean, the former Wellington representntive-and All Black. He worked like a Trojan in the tight, and led the pack in the loose. He is a dangerous man, and likely to be a disturbing and destructive force. ■ Much of Marist’s success was due to the unrelenting pressure kept up by the front-row men, Keegan , and Ottaway. Butler was one of the best. Unless one has been tried and triumphed in fire, like Siddelle, a full-back’s job. when sorely pressed, is to boot for the line while there is time. Masters was at sea on Saturday. . . Baldwin, Hill and Dustin tackled surely and well, and had need to, but Hollis had a penchant for wandering from position. Wright. Old Boys winger, possesses “ginger.” but has yet to learn when to punt rather than hew. His vis-a-vis, E. McGreevy. played a rattling game, opportunity being, in his case, a fine thing. Langdon is a versatile five-eighth with promise of becoming a top-iiotcher. Robins knows how to steer ns second fiveeighths. and Macdonald, speedy and trickv thruster that he is. profits accordingly. Representative PrograMune. Wellington's representative engagements for the season are as.follow:— June 20 —v. Taranaki, at Hawera. July 25 —v. Wairarapa. in Wairarapa. August 11 —v. Manawatu, at I’almer. ston North. ' AlWtst 15—Wellington Colts v. King Country, at: .Tauniarunui. August IS—v. Hawke's Bay, at Wellington. August 22—Wellington Colts v. King Country, in King Country. August 25—v. Taranaki, nt Wellington. Wellington Colts v. Taranaki Colts, in Taranaki. , August 20—Wellington Colts r. Wanganui. at>Wanganui. - September I—v.1 —v. Auckland, at Wellington/ September S—v. Otago at Dunedin ; v. Wanganui at Wellington. \ September 12 —v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 15 —v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. . ' Gym. Gossip. It is stated that many of the clubs are experiencing great difficulty in securing accurate information with regard to their seventh grade players. The age limit is 14 years six months on April 1 of the current season. Some of the boys who played last Saturday were known to be over the age. In view of the trouble experienced last season when three dubs won and lost the grade award through playing over-age boys, it would be .wise for the union to take action immediately. Probably a more satisfactory way would be to divorce the under-age grades—seventh, sixth, fifth and fourth—from counting towards the club championship and to restrict this title to the teams gaining most points in the o)k>ii grades. J. Shearer, coach of last season’s most successful Poneke senior B side, which eventually won the second division championship, Was not expected to take an active part in coaching this season, but in response to a letter signed by most of the members of this season’s side, which has very few alterations as compared with last year, Shearer has taken over the reins again, and be will be seen in action at the Poneke gym. this evenin''. There are few men in New Zealand who know more about forward tactics than Jack Shearer, and his presence is sure Io instil a new spirit into the ranks of the crack Poneke senior B side. The Shearer family have played a big part in the making of footballers in WrtFngton. Brother Sid has had charge of the Hutt senior team for three or four, years, and he has built up a reputation for punctuality and method in training I in addition to showing marked ability as a coach. Hutt supporters are confident that Sid now has a side capable of winning tlfs season’s championship, and present indications are that Hutt will certainly be a very hard team to beat. Brother Jack, of course, will coach Poneke. It is not likely that he will again don the jersey, but as he strips to. train and coach his side he will naturally be fit should his services ever be required. .