"THE AUCKLAND GAME"

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 62, 10 September 1921, Page 12

"THE AUCKLAND GAME"

MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON

STRONG FOLLOWING REGAINED.

(By "Drop-kick."),

During the coming week there will be a renewal of disouasion —of an informal character—on the proposed amendments to the laws of the game, and the fact that the president of the New Zealand Rugby Union'was not included as a representative at this conference has aroused the indignation of some unions. Apart from this, however, the time is opportune for reference to the matter as there is a likelihood of; important developments in the near future when the position iv regard to Auckland is further considered. By 'reason, of the fact that the amended rules mainly originated from Auckland football in that district may be said to have an important bearing on the future of the game in the Dominion, if not internationally. Auckland, with the permission of the New Zealand Rugby Union, pending further consideration by the English Eugby tynion, is playing the unauthorised rule relating to kicking into touch. The experience this season in the north, therefore, demands more than ordinary attention. In order to fully ascertain the position, the writer during visits to Auckland this season, made a special point of interviewing players and officials. Regarding the new rule they agreed, without exception, that it had been responsible for saving the game throughout the whole district. From the play, too, it was quite apparent that the rule had made for a better game. It. is only by close association with players as well as officials that a true knowledge of the benefits of the rule, as well as the serious consequences if it has to be abandoned, can be obtained, and to those outside Auckland it is well that further facts should be made known, more particularly at this time as Mr. Bennett, manager of the Springboks' team, will be taking back to South Africa a report on the matter. ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR. Some interesting points iv favour if the Auckland rules were obtained by the writer from a former prominent Wellington footballer, who is now resident in Auckland and taking a keen interest in the game up there. "Under the existing rules," he stated, "the habit has grown of,excessive use of the touch line. . One re<woA for this is that it requires no initiative and no rcoource. Any player of even- mediocre ability can kick a bail into touch and gain a certain percentage of ground. It has also been found that the most effective combination to win matches is a strong, hustling team of forwards, supported by persistent line-kicking, and it has been the custom to develop this style of play, as it is very much easier to develop players of this type than ..hose who depend in their attack on cleverness and brilliance. Another common juactice is tor a team, which has established a lead of a few points, to close np the game by relentless use of the line, endeavouring to win the game by allowing no opportunity to the other side of scoring and preventing the game Decj'iV.i.'g open. According to the rules tk-esa arc perfectly fair f.nd legitimata tactic*, bat th 6 inevitable result is to lower the standard of scientific play and tc i?ake the game unattractive both to players and spectators alike. •"As a matter of principle 100 niuch value is attached to the punt in football; for instance, a brilliant passing rush, or a fine forward charge, each requintg the combined skill of several ) 'ayers, may carry the play forty or fifty yards. The same result may be attained by the licking of one individual. " Auckland's position has been forced by the introduction of'the League_ game, which, being more open than Rugby, has appealed to ihe spectators who follow football,' and it has rapidly acquired a strong footing."1 It has also gathered to its ranks quite a! numlxsr of promising players. ,As the population of the New Zealand towns is comparatively small, there is no room for the maintenance of two codes; ora mush eventually stifle the other. The supporters of amateur foot ball, wishing at all costs to keep supreme the amateur code so that tho youiig men of the community should be able to take part in sport purely amateur, and not be forced to play a game which had professionalism as its basic principle,l .tried tho experiment of amending the. kicking irio touch rule, with a view to removing from Rugby much of its anattractivencss. The method adopted- was to take E-way much of the advantage of the line-kick. If a player :.n his own twenty-five kicks the ball into touch on the full the lineout is ta-ken where the ball goes into touch, as at,present.. Between the two fcwer.ty-nves, if a player kicks the ball into touc/i on the full the line-out is taken parallel to' where he kicked from. He can kick in-field, and if the ball bounces out then the line-out is taken where the ball bounces out. OPPORTUNITY FOR CLEVERNESS. "There is no penalty for kicking the ball out on the full, but no ground is gained thereby. It can only be used as a method of defence. The attacking side can be checked by such a kick, but the attacking side retains the advantage of ground gained by their attack, and the line-out recommences the play from that spot. The result is that a player does not use the line if he can avoid it, but, if at all possible, he will return the attack either by running or. kicking infield and following up. The practical result is that the rule acts more or less as a compulsion to play open football, as back players particularly, must develop initiative and resource; and the back whose only object in life is to kick the ball out of bounds becomes a distinct detriment and a handicap to his side. It becomes virtually, impossible for a clever team of backs to be permanently kept at bay, as the ball, being kept so much more in play,, offers the opportunity for cleverness and pace at some stages of the game. The old practice of making the game tight and resting on a lead of three, or five points has to be abandoned, and tho3B dreary spectacles of bullocking line-out work by forwards, followed by persistent short line-kicking, become a thing of the past. ACCURACY NOT PENALISED. . " The rule does not penalise the really accurate kicker. In the first place, there is full scope for him in defensive work in his own twenty-five and in the taking of free kicks which can be kicked out on the full from any part of the field. He can also, by returning a ball close to touch, place his opponent in a position where he cannot return the ball with any effect, and if he is a really clever player, combined with accurate kicking, he can, on finding the opposing backs out of position, land the ball inside the touch-line so that it will, bounce out. This requires great skill—first, the quickness to sbd the opportunity, and, second, the absolute accurate kicking to achieve the object. So that it is seen that a. first-class kick can. gain a tremendous advantage over a mediocre kick. BENEFICIAL RESULTS. " Thß 'result of playing the rule in Auckland M* been that., without any :

principles of Rugby being altered and without any advantages taken from the possession-of skill by a player, the game has been made much more attractive, both to players and supporters. _ The backs are encouraged to develop initiative, and are encouraged to find that, their efforts cannot be stifled by. a side content to do nothing but play safety. Legitimate forward playing is in no way affected. The forward rush is- just as valuable an asset to its side as it ever was, but much of the uninteresting close tight work, with its tendency to undue roughness, is lessened." REMARKABLE PROGRESS. The progress made by the Auckland Rugby Union in recent years has been remarkable. To .briefly' instance this, tfie gate takings (admission 6d) in a few seasons have 'advanced' froni approximately £6 10s to as much as £400. The average attendances have been better than those recorded; at Athletic Park, the centre of Rugby's stronghold' in New Zealand, aindl total from six to eight thoiisand spectators. For Charity Cup matches the gates are about £200, but far in excess of this for the bie secondlary school fixtures—the big draw in Auckland. There has been a big increase in players, many of whom ha^e com© over from the League ga.me, and' throughout the district there is now ,a total of five or six thousand. A few years ago the Auckland' Union had no finances; to-day all its overdraft has gone. In short, tho season has been the most ■ successful experienced for many a day. This is all due, it is stated, to the change in the garnet It has been brightened up, and' helped1 along by enthusiastic supporters, who have devoted much work, time, and' money to keep a purely amateur game alive. Spectators and players have shown their appreciation; .and! without interference to existing conditions the Auckland! Union wijl continue to mako headway. Special attention is paid to the schools, th«re being sixty schools playing Rugby, with a total of about 4000 players within a five or six-mile radius. In a recent tourney forty-six teams took part. -The boys are provided: withi jerseys and footballs, andi are encouraged in every way. A change to old rules would mean a severe loss to Rugby in New Zealand. To revert would nwan a huge gain to the other game; in fact, the writer was reliably informed! that at least two senior clubs hadl. decided to go over if the new rules were not permitted. Rugby cannot afford! to lose such a> strong following as that which has now been regained) in Auckland. THE SMALL UNIONS. Speaking at a dinner after the Seddon Shield match last Saturday, Dr. NobleAdams, .president of the Marlborough Union, remarked that the defeat of. New Zealand by the New South Wales team should make the New Zealand Union think when it recognis^d that the unions of the Seddon Shield district had offered a stronger resistance to the Australians than New Zealand representatives. It only went to show that the quality of the men in the small unions was not known, and it simply came to the point that unless the minor unions went further afield for their football they would not receive due recognition. ' It was only by presenting a united front that these unions were, going to receive any of the attention which he was sure they really deserved. On the same subject, Mr. J. Bradley, manager of the Buller team, said that there was something in what Dr. Noble-Adams had said Regarding the New Zealand Union's lack of interest' in the smaller bodies. When Steele was picked for the "All Blacks" there ■ was an outcry throughout New Zealand; yet he was one of the best backs in the' team. The smaller unions required more opportunities to prove themselves.