Rugby Laws Under Fire

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 174, 20 April 1937, Page 14

Rugby Laws Under Fire

Parent Body Meets To-morrow Night

By

GORDON BOWDEN

rpHE Taranaki remit to come before the A annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-morrow night that the diamond scrum and wing-forward be reverted to 'will be favoured by Hawke s Bay, but opposed by Otago and Canterbury. Many followers of the game like the 2-3-2 scrum, but will not have any talk of the return of the wing-forward. The artistry of C. G. Porter and others in this position cannot be allowed, to weigh against the fact that the wingforward was an unwelcome spoiler. He shone in the loose because he had a good start away’ from both set and loose scrums. Otherwise he was merely a nuisance. Often he would be seen struggling with his vis-a-vis for position. Then he would peer into the scrum for the ball, on his toes ready to sit on top of the half the moment the leather appeared, and often sooner. '

Otherwise, the seven-man scrum is to be favoured. Store quickly down, a better wedge, cleaner in hooking, and faster in breaking up. But since the wing-for-ward is a necessary adjunct, the 2-3-2 scrum will have td remain a memory. In addition, players are now perfecting the other formations, and the season should see a big advance in the effectiveness of both the 3-4-1 and 3-2-3. Which Kick-into-touch Rule?

Wellington will move to-morrow night that all club and representative matches be played under international rules regarding kicking into touch until after the conclusion of the South African tour. Otago has already decided to play unrestricted kicking into touch. A club practice game in Christchurch, was played on April 10 under the old rule, but in the opening championship games on Saturday the amended rule was played. The Auckland ■ union, well satisfied with the amended rules it has played for many years, is determined to stick to them; and if the New Zealand union decides in favour of the international rules the province will seek a dispensation to play the amended rules. This decision has the backing of such wise administrators and experienced players as Mr. Arthur Baker, the president, and Mr. George Nicholson. 1904-5-7-8 All Black. They point to the fact that Auckland beat the British team in 1930 after playing amended rules all the season. There are two questions: Would the chances of the All Blacks and the provincial teams against the Springboks suffer if the amended rule were played all the season; and assuming they would, is this sufficient reason to make the retrograde step ?

It would be a dangerous practice to revert to an old system every time we were threatened by an overseas visiting team. Our own players and spectators must be considered first. If the restricted kicking into touch makes the game more enjoyable to players and more attractive to spectators, and most people will agree that it does both, then the country should adhere to it. There is plenty of football to be played and watched apart from the Springboks, and there are plenty of players who will never meet them, and should not be exposed to the evils of the old indiscriminate touch-finding. Moreover, there is a lot to be said for the Auckland viewpoint that players have no need to spend a season getting used .to unrestricted kicking into touch. A good line-kick gets plenty of practice both inside and outside his twenty-five. Does the country possess poorer linekicks now than under the old rule? It is a question to which only the bold will answer yes. The old rule does save the forwards’ energies for scrums, line-outs, and rucks. But the playing of the Springbok matches in this way will be New Zealand's gain as well as their opponents’, and it is hard to see how we should do the forwards such a good, turn by getting them used all the season to having their energy saved. Results of Previous Tours. On the 1921 tour of Australia and I New Zealand, the Springboks played 23 games, four in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. They lost only two games, against Canterbury, 4r6, and New’ Zealand (First Test), 5-13, at Dunedin. Two games were drawn, v. Taranaki, 0-0, and New Zealand (Third Test), 0-0, at Wellington. Points for and against:—ln Australia, 83-38; in New Zealand, 244The Tests played by the 1928 All Blacks in South Africa resulted: — South African won at Durban, 17-0. New Zealand won at Johannesburg, 7-6. South Africa won at Port Elizabeth, 11-6. New Zealand won at Newlands, 13-5. Altogether 22 matches were played on that tour, New Zealand winning 16, losing five, and drawing one (Northern Provinces, at Kimberley). The other three losses were:—Cape Town (second game of the itinerary), 3-7: Transvaal (fourth match), 0-6; and Western Provinces (second last game), 3-10. After this the AU Blacks won the final Test, to square the rubber between the countries. Ranfurly Shield Challenge. Marlborough is in early with a challenge to Otago for the Ranfurly Shield. Southland are hoping for the first game—■ they held the shield during the Springbok visit in 1921. The two transfers to Otago are those of George Gaffaney, South Canterbury and South Island five-eighth, and J. Mahoney, a Canterbury representative forward last year. The transfer of Gaffaney is something of an exchange, as C. Saxton, the Otago half, will play this season in Timaru. The Pirates club may decide to play Gaffaney at half, vice Saxton. The same club has secured N. S. Bathgate, Taumarunui and King Country representative, as centre-threequarter. The Southern club will again have “the old firm,” Simon and Trevathan, behind the scrum. The club has Otago and South Island .forwards in McDonald, Quaid, Niven, and Neiper. Canterbury Dispute Explained. The dispute which resulted in the annual meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union being declared invalid was happily settled at a second meeting held on April 14. ' The cause of the tangle was an informality that crept into the election of the Albion club's delegates to the first annual meeting. Originally, Albion elected Messrs. R. A. Calder, W. J. Whitham, A. Henry and B. Lee as its delegates. Later on, at a meeting of the committee of the Albion club, Messrs. Lee and Whitham resigned from their positions as delegates, and Messrs. R. W. Britton and R. R. Masters were appointed in their stead. This action broke rule 7 of the Canterbury Rugby Union’s constitution, although nobody seemed aware of it at the time. Delegates, this rule says, must be elected at the annual meeting of a club, not at a committee meeting. The annual meeting of the union was duly held, but within a week the Linwood club protested against the method of appointing the Albion club’s delegates. Legal advice was taken, and the management committee of the union had no option but to declare the first annual meeting invalid and call a fresh meeting. Subsequently the two delegates were properly elected by Albion, and at the second annual meeting of the union the same management committee was elected as at the first. K. S. Mortlock in Form. Canterbury have high hopes that K. S. Mortlock, the South Island five-eighth, will wear the silver fern this year. Commenting on the opening matches of the comnetition on Saturday, a Christchurch writer says:—Old Boys had their crack five-eighth. Mortlock, back in his top form. It was wonderful to sec him again make an opening virtually out of nothing, and slip out from a press of opponents into a swift swerving run that often baffled the deadliest of tacklers.

Two well-known West Coast (South Island) players appearing in Christchurch this season are M. Scandrett, forward, and L. Martyn. wing-three-quarter. Both are decided acquisitions to the Albion club. Mr. G. F. Hart, the Canterbury All Black, with Mrs. Hart, passed through Wellington on Wednesday on his return to Christchurch. Mr. Hart has definitely retired from the game. He considers a married man should not play football.

Rhodes Scholar to Visit Hawke’s Bay.

Max Cooper, 1934 New Zealand Rhodes Scholar and captain of the Oxford University Rugby Football Club, has had his last season in English football, and is now on his way to New Zealand. He will spend six or eight weeks on a visit to his home town, Havelock North, and has intimated his willingness to play football in Hawke’s Bay during his stay. Manawatu fans will remember Cooper's fine displays for Massey College and the province. Wherever the ball was, there also was “Mac.” At Oxford he gained his “blue” in 1934, and led the varsity fifteen against the 193 a All Blacks. School Football.

Few unions do as much to foster football in the schools as Hawke’s Bay, which decided at its annual meeting to apply to the parent body for an increased allocation to all unions of moneys for school football. “There is a general falling-off of interest in primary school Rugby football, not only in Hawke’s Bay, but also throughout tho whole of New Zealand/ said Mr, C. Williamson, Waipukurau. Mr. G. A. Maddison. Hastings, pointed out that the total grant of the New Zealand Rugby Union toward school football throughout the whole of the Dominion was only £750.

“But I think the New Zealand body might devote more of its money to this,” he added. “The funds in the New Zealand union amount . approximately to £40.000, and no doubt they will be augmented after the Springboks’ tour by £lO.OOO or £15,000. I would like to see every union in New Zealand have a liaison officer keeping contact between the unions and the schools, with a view to encouraging the game. After all, the school is the cradle of Rugby.” This is, of course, true but it must be remembered that most unions do have on the management committee a representative of the primary schools, usually a master in charge of football at one of the schools. Mr. L. Stannard fills the position admirably for the Wellington union. In his earlier days he captained the Palmerston North Boys’ High School first fifteen. Hawke’s Bay spent £144 last year on school football. They hold an annual provincial schools’ tournament, at which every sub-union is usually represented. Another move by the same union toward fostering young players was a successful tour by a colts’ team of the northern portion of the South Island. The New Zealand union gave valued financial assistance.

This idea, which aims at "giving the players experience against outside senior teams, should not be carried too far. A strenuous tour, for instance, would do the colts more harm than good. However, "within limits the scheme is a valuable one. Athletes as Footballers.

The amateur athletic world is usually well represented in Rugby. Mr. J. K. Moloney is a vice-president of the Canterbury union, and Mr. A. C. Kitto is a well-known member of the Wellington Referees’ Association. These two gentlemen will nominate the New Zealand team of athletes for the British Empire Games at Sydney next February. D. Herman, a tall, fast forward who plays for Technical Old Boys, Christchurch, is a prominent field athlete. B. Tapley, a former national sprint champion, plays for Southern, Dunedin. Athletic, Wellington, has tall Ken Guy, a persevering field-events man in Wellington athletics. Wallabies’ Loss.

The loss of three “Wlallabies,” Doug McLean, Owen Bridle and.. “Bimbo” White, is a blow to the Australian Rugby Union in view of the Springbok visit. McLean, a brilliant wing-three-quarter, has joined the Ipswich League team in Queensland, and Bridle is to play Australian Rules. The fast breakaway several times filled a three-quarter position on the New Zealand tour last year. White is to concentrate on business, having purchased a newsagency and sports depot at Mackay, Queensland. However, a compensation is the return to club football of the brilliant centre-threequarter, Cyril Towers, although with MeLaughlan available he may not gain State selection. “THE BROWN BOMBER” Will He Fight in London? TOE LOUIS, of Detroit, the most sensational negro heavyweight America has produced since .lack Johnson, has been booked to fight at White City, London, in July, providing he beats world champion Jimmy Braddock in their Chicago fight on June 22. writes Joe Bromley in “The Sporting Life.” This news was announced both by Promoter Sydney Hulls, who has recently returned from America, and Mike Jacobs, the famous American promoter, following a conference in New York with Brig.-Gen. A. C. Critchley, of Harringay. An opponent for Louis has yet to be found, but he will he produced by the series of tournaments which have been planned for the Harringay arena. Plans have been made for Fnrr to oppose Walter Neusel, of Germany, and the ultimate winner will be labelled as the opponent for Louis inJuly. Official Sanction. It has already been announced by the Board of Control that they will sanction a clash between Baer and Neusel. provided the American can beat the reigning British champion. From this point it would not be a far ’step to the granting of permission to stage another fight between two foreigners, one of whom is the great Joe Louis. Mike Jacobs, who helps to control the destinies of Louis, will be “in" on a percentage basis in the London fight. In the meantime Max Schmeling, of Germany, who was originally matched with Braddock for the world championship at the Yankee Stadium, New York, on June 3, is beginning to realise that the prospects of that fight coming off are fading. Smart Lawyers. Smart lawyers have been busy on the other side of the Atlantic, and ihe breaking of contracts by various people may not have such serious results as might be anticipated. Apart from rhe threatened Jewish boycott there seems nothing in the way of the Schmeling-Braddoek fight on June 3, but Braddock will certainly meet Louis over 15 rounds in a “non-title” contest on June 22.

The Chicago bout is expected to draw a million dollars, and ns Braddock is to receive 50 per cent, of the gate, he is “sitting pretty.”

Tallon, the Queensland batsman-’keep-er, came out in n new Right the other day. In a grade match Northern Suburbs were hoisting a big score when Tallon swapped the pads for the ball. In four overs he took four wickets for 14 runs, tossing up slow leg-breaks with an occasional wrong ’un.