RUGBY IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 200, 21 May 1936, Page 16

RUGBY IN BRITAIN

Stimulus From All Blacks Visit SEASON REVIEWED It will be interesting, before the Rugby international season that has just ended becomes a confused memory, to recall a few outstanding players and incidents (writes D. R. Gent in the “Sunday Times,’’ London). The visit of the New Zealanders gave the game a stimulus that it receives in greater degree from these particular guests perhaps than from any others. With their smashing defeat by England on January 4 the tour came to an end in sensational style, ami we settled down to the domestic international matches with our hopes buoyed up for great games. What an anti-climax we had in one or two cases! The most disappointing country of all was probably England, who had started so well. There are some who tend to deprecate England's performance against New Zealand, and say that England won because the weakest of the three sides that New Zealand have sent here was stale. They were the weakest, I agree, and the side actually chosen by the tourists was not exactly what some of us would have chosen for that match. But I saw few signs of staleness myself, and one must never forget that the ambition with all tourists is to beat England at Twickenham, whatever happens elsewhere. (Home countries have the same feeling, too, I believe). England won that match because her combination in defence was superb and would have stopped any attack, and because Prince A. Obolensky and 11. S. Sever played brilliant football on the wings, with centres playing quite well to them. Candler's Transition. After that the England backs rather Went to pieces, and we had the unusual experience of watching P. L. Candler, who started by being g quite useful attacking player, developing into a good defensive player by reason of the practice he had of covering up the mistakes of his colleagues behind the scrum, and especially his popular skipper,. B. C. Gadney. il. G. Owen Smith produced his best game tvhen it was most needed —against Wales at Swansea. That first great victory over New Zealand possibly was the cause of much of this deterioration, and I must say I thought I afterward saw a self-complacency about the efforts of some of the players that was hardly merited by the results of those efforts. But there is always Sever’s grand play in all the matches to call to mind and Obolensky’s tries against New Zealand. The champions, Wales, I have dealt with fully before. Here we had a blend of brilliance in attack and defence, and an ideal combination of individualism and team play. Some maintain that all through the season Wales would have done better to play the Swansea pair, Haydn Tanner and W. T. Davies, at halfback, to the exclusion of Cliff Jones. I don’t agree. I saw these two Swansea boys play glorious football when they, more than any others, helped Swansea to beat the New Zealanders. But I would have Jones in any Wales side every time. He is the ideal link, as Adrian Stoop was, or Dick Jones, or H. J. Kittermaster, or Herbert Waddell. He does know the idiosyncrasies of that other superb individualist Wilfred Woolier, and Jones has helped to get the best out of Woolier, in addition to his own magnificent contribution. Tanner is the most promising scrumhalf I have seen for years—in fact, it is not promise with him but fulfilment. No, the Welsh selectors have done wisely to stick to Jones and Tanner, though I could never understand why they did not retain G. Rees Jones on the wing. Scotland’s Failure. And Scotland? R. C. S. Dick. R. W. Shaw, K. C. Fyle, W. R. Logan, H. Lind, a pack with at least five famous forwards —and four matches lost in one season! I have been sorry for Scotland. With a little luck they might have done well. In the game against Wales at Edinburgh, and in the one against Ireland, there were times when, had things gone their way, they would have scored, and might then well have won both those matches. Dick, I consider, has been the best orthodox centre three-quarter of the year. Woolier, of course, has played better, but then no one would call Woolier exactly an orthodox player. The trouble with Scotland has been whether, and, if so, where, to play Lind, what Shaw’s position should be (though I would always have him at outside half), and the falling off of Logan.