THEIR STYLE OF PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 16, 21 July 1921, Page 7

THEIR STYLE OF PLAY

OPPORTUNIST METHODS AND

ELASTIC FORMATION

PBOSPECTS AGAINST WEL» •■' LINGtON. . ;i

,' (By'"T>rop-kicle.")

The advent of the Springboks.in the Wellington distinct and their match against Wairarapa, yesterday afforded local followers of football their first .convenient opportunity of ■ studying the visitors' style of play. Just as in 1908, when Harding's Anglo-Welsh team played their.,first match in New Zealand against Wairaxapa, there was present a. considerable contingent .of enthusiasts from, the city, including Rugby Union officials and "scouts" looking for points for the coming game with our representatives. Among those who went'up yesterday to Ma«terton were Fred Roberts, ex-All Black half of the triumphant touring team of 1904-5, who went tip similarly to see Harding!s team thirteen years" ago, "Billy" Uru, M.P., a great footballer of an earlier.day, Messrs. J. • Prendeville, chairman; and F. J. M'Comisky, secretary, of the W.R.F.U., Messrs. l Howe and Dean, of the N.Z.R.F.TJ., and E. Roberts ("Teddy"), who will probably captain the Wellington team on Saturday. NOT THE -BEST TEAM. Unfortunately, fora .just estimate of the strength, and skill of the Springboks, it was not by any means the best team the visitors could raise that took' the field against Wair'arapa. Quite wisely, oil must admit, the captain of the Springboks (Mr. T. B. Pienaa-r) seized the chance of giving several of his "star" men a r.est for the real, first test,, against Wellington on Saturday. •■-Yesterday, against- the comparatively .weak. Wairarapa and Bush. colribination,':such^pld.yers as Van Heerden, Clarkson, Henry Morftel; threequarters; Gerhard .Morkel. ful!,back; T)e Kock and .Michau, halves; "Boy" Morkel, Harry Morkel,. J\l. Michau, and Scholtz hnd a c(ay off. Of those who took the 1 field, Sendin played Iris first game since leaving .Australia, and several other players had an opportunity ,io, stretch their legs after n> period of inaction. On the other hand, the forwards were fairly roprcsentativo of the best of the. visitors' talent. The whole combination quite justified itself, and won easily. " Had they been desirous of piling up points, no doubt they could have put up a'lead of well over a score, but they reckoned to win with , a margin of fifteen points,; and they, -left it comfortably at that, obviously saving themselves in the second spell. SOMETHING UP THEIR SLEEVE. Though the team was not the Springboks' best, it was a good tea-m,- and'the game was decidedly attractive and interesting, especially, in ' 'the,, first, spell. The "scouts" for Wellington had plenty of food for thought on their- way home in the train. "■"' The general'impression is that the South. Africans have a great deal up their sleeve that ■ they are keeping for the Teal "object of their visit—the'defeat.of New Zealand;'in' the Tests. The leading men of the team are not voluble for publications, and observation is the only real iourca of information. It is quite clear, However, that the captain is somewhat anxious about the number of men off the claying list through injuries or sickness. Siedle' is in hospital in Auckland '.'with a football knee; De Kock, who was injured at Wanganui in the foot, will not be able to pl&y for another week; "Boy" Morkel will have a little longer still to wait, and Walker, one of the best forwards, got. a nasty cut over the eye at Mastertan yesterday, which.may..incapacitate him for a, match.-or two, The climate, too, ,witn. jts infinite variety at this time of. th© year, th^y find rathev trying; and several arev suffering from colds. The team is not yet in the top ;of its - form; and has not so far .quite ; satisfied either Mr. G. H. Bennett; the manager, nor' Mr. Pienaar, the captain. ;At stages I yesterday combination wus lacking and dangerous openings were left for 1 enterprising opponents. : This may be- all changwd '\Vhen.,it. comes to the first Test at Dimedin on-13th:Aii2ust. ' . A BRIGHT, OPEN GAME. The conditions at Masiexton were admitted on all sides to be perfect—the best so far on the tour. The show-rinj; at Solway, with its splendid; turf, springy yet not top hard-and dry;-the brilliant sunshine across the ground and not up and down; tihe' complete.absence .of wind—all made for the fast, open game the Springboks adore. The WairarapaBush comDTnatkin was good enough to give the visitors scope for. the display of their qualities. If the backs of the local fifteen were' weak, the forwards were quite up to the i mark,'.. especially in the loose. The. impression > left/,- by the South Africans was that '-their foi. mation is much more elastic than Iburs; more capable of.: being" adapted .' either to defence or atfeck, 'and that ..the methods of the visitors are more opportunist—that is, th<3y' let the game develop itsdf and take advantage,pf.openings as they occur. Theirs seems an easieil, more facile, a. more open stylo of play than our grim, serious Rugby machine, the product of many years hard thinking on the possibilities .'of the game within'-the, rules. There appears to be no doubt in" the minds of unbiased • observers, that . New Zealand Rugby has become somewhat stereotyped ia these later years since, it was elaborated by the genius of. "Jimmie" Duncan, "Off-side" M'Konzie, and other ; pioneers, and perfected bjr tiio practice of the All Blacks. 'One might compare it with the 1 old Greek 'phalawa, which was the perfect engine of ■war. and 'made a ■"triumphant tour" until tho ißfflaaiis got into it -with' their shoit ■gwords and put it out of action. During the last ten years there has been little or no d«velopment in tho game Here, and now a new set of conditions has to be faced. ' VERSATILE FORWARDS. First, in the scram they apply the principles of their elastic formation. They can go down four-four, as they do iv South Africa, thre.e-twothree as they are doing mostly at present, or they can adopt for temporary convenience our own two-three-two. They do, not hook out quickly in our style, but surge forward over the ball with their superior weight, leaving it to the half to pick < up or keep it in, as the circumstances dictate. Orders given in Dutch will-give our side no clue to the procedure. The ball comes out of the scrum when they want it, and usually so unexpectedly as to give time to pass out to the wings, when with us it would hardly get-as far as tho centre. The wings, even yesterday's understudies (Meyer and Zeller), are very fast indeed, and beat down the line at a great pßce.^ Thrice yesterday the lino was crossed ,by the corner and the ball grounded behind the posted The forwards are great on, the'close-formation advancing, pack, practically handing the ball from one to another, -and tliey mßn' tain a cleverer liaison "with tiie backs than our more specialised vanguard .attempts to do. Pairs and little jjronps of forwards frequently execute a twentyfive yard passing rash. On the Jine-out they excel .New, Zealand practice, tipping or flinging the ball to the waiting backs with-great accuracy. 'The tackling

!>articular Wairarapa suffered by the con;;tact. Walker brought Q. Donald down ■'■withr a-tiger-like spring from a yard.or ,'Hwo' aWay;' The fewness of" the points ■^50.., |ar against /the visitors is due to this. 3 ' RESOURCEF.UL BACKS. The backs play a bright) onen game. ; From behind the scrum the two halves iiwhip.the ball away very smartly to the [inner three-quarters,- seldom doing much f-of the cutting round the scrum. In ithis ■'department our backs will probably Shave..!a 'distinct 'advantage. The-two', £"star" halves, de Kock and „ young *Michau (pronounced Meeko), we're ■ not '■•seen yesterday, but if:.they are .much i.better than . Townsend and Tindall, par-. ;-:ticular!y Townsend, they will. be*: .equal ita our very best. Townsend-is.-full of ■^tricks and surprises, and his'fesourcefulJness was one of the.featnres, of ;yester;'day's, .play.., _ .Zeller,- on .the wing, was 'iquite starved-yesterday,;:, but is reported j.to be a fine player/ Strauss "played the ■;dummy" yesterday very effectively and '■scored a couple of neat tries. Meyer, -on the-other wing, had more work and '.executed a reverse pass when blocked on :tho line that .won merited applause. : Travelling at a fast pace he braked himVself just before being tackled and slung /.over his shoulder to Strauss, who was in •waiting, and a try resulted. r , :: TOCHVIUCH TOUCH AND WINGi :. FORWARD. .' The Springboks differ from us in tho ''}x-:& of the lino. When pressed hard in "■defence they kick to touch for a temporary .respite, and kick without much /-or angle-shaving. In attack 'they seldom bother with it, '■' preferring to jkce'p the ball in play, and by combined 'forward and back work to get it down tho field. Tho game is unquestionably -imore attractive this'way.. Not specialising in line-kicking, they naturally do ■not excel in this branch of the game. In . .defence, with their backs to the wall, the rearguard bunches closely round the pack, prepared to nip in the bud any. ■attack round the scrum. Otherwise they , 'have nothing like the wing-forward in their play, and they do not believe hi , spoiling tactics unless they are ha.rd up 'against it in their own twenty-five. Don,jild!s exhibition" of wing-forward play [yesl-SXdjJy; ";was; certainly .not calculated -to impress them with it's being anything "ihiore than a nuisance. . ■ ;. . AT WELLINGTON—A TRIAL OF . .. STRENGTH. „' It is yet too early to prophecy how the visitors will fare. They have done well so far, but. not up to their own axpecta,-, tions. In a word, they are not yet acclimatised nor in, their best form. Phytfically the/ are a. splendid type 'of 1 footballer, probably a stone heavier on the ■average than' any combination they aro likely to meet, except in the Tests. They ■are fast for their weight, and are eschew- ■ -jug rigorously the acceptance of any form ; of hospitality likely to interfere with .'their'.gamo. They are out'to represent South Africa, and win, if possible, from New Zealand the blue .ribbon of the champion Rugby players of the world. That is the main object of their visit— ,'not piling up points against provinces for a record. They play an absolutely •'clean"game,"if it is a hard and willing and, so far, they .give New Zealand 'the credit.forCdoirig.the same. Tho best •jul feeling prevails, aiift they are delightled with their reception, which has surprised them, as evidence• of the astonishing popularity of football in New Zealand. Thoyclook" upon'their meeting with 'Wellinfttbu'/aSilhe.first real test" of their ■ |6trengtfi v iri' the tour," and they-will put' ■in their best team, with the exception, possibly, of Van Heerden, de Kock, and Morkel. 'If they draw with Wel-lington,-beat them, or come close to it,, :.they maybe reckoned to have a distinct ;chance for the Tests. Old Rugby players ina-y. -point -to their- weaknesses against > our own rugged, determined style of jjlay, but. a great deal remains yet to be ■Reeii.'"'' In any'case,' "if the weather at Athletic Park' on Saturday 1 is anything like what it was at Masterton yesterday, spectators may expect inosMbrilliant foot- ::■■'::. v zi:.-. ,-r ■.-