THE POTTED GOAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3463, 31 March 1930, Page 7

THE POTTED GOAL.

After I had read the report of Scotland’s defeat by France I thought for a space about dropped goals, and the things they can do in the hardest of matches, writes T. C. Wignall in the London Daily Telegraph. And I remembered a day when I was myself a player, and when f dropped a goal that gave me a medal that ] still prize. The score, before I got my foot to; the ball, was 12 points to 10. That is to say. my side had two converted goals, while our opponents had scored four tries, which had not been improved.

Tt stands to reason that four times across the lino as against two is fair evidence that one team is superior to the other. But then comes the dropped goal, which counts four points. Now it has always been any contention that the dropped goal, except when it is accomplished by a man like Dicky Lloyd, is frequently in the nature of an accident or a fluke. A fly-half, for instance, is thrown the ball when he is within reasonable distance of bis opponents’ goalposts. One quick glance tells him that the backs of the other side are on a level with the scrum, and that if he passes there is the certainty of a tackle or some other breakdown. and so be takes a snapshot kick, and, if be is lucky, has the delight of seeing the ball sail between the uprights. When this happens four points are added to the score. But why should this be when a dropped goal is much more easy to obtaiit than a try? Very many years ago T remember a match between.'the New Zealanders and Swansea, ft was. I think, the final game of the All Blacks’ tour, and although they bad Jtuien beaten in an international by Wales they were extremely anxious to preserve their unstained shield against clubs. )

In the first half a fine forward named Fred Scrime scored a wonderful try for Swansea, and they were leading by these three points until well into the second spell. Then Wallace 1 , the New Zealand full back, got the ball near the half-wav line He must have known that a small gale of wind was blowing from the direction of the sea. for he immediately drop-kicked to the loft touch-line. The sequel to this must have been guessed at already. The ball went between the posts, and Swansea, decidedly the better team, were beaten by four ( points to three. In other words', they'were licked by a fluke. ’ The Rugby Union, very rightly, dislike* interfering with the present rules, but surely the time has now arrived when the dropped goal! and the points awarded for it, should come up for corr'sideration. There are. of course, lucky tries, but the most fortunate of these, in my opinion, should be worth more than a dropped goal. II the points scored were reduced to two I do not believe anv one would complain, although 1 have heard veteran Rugger men declare that if they were consulted they would bar dropped goals -altogether. This, perhaps, is too revolutionary. but T confess that T am one of jinny who are now convinced that the finest of dropped goals is not worthy of four points. And unless lam very much mistaken, the Scottish team that was defeated in almost thei last minute in Baris are of the same opinion.