ALL BLACKS' TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 11

ALL BLACKS' TOUR

SHOULD THE WiNG-FORWABD • BE ABOLISHED?

TO THE EDIIOa.

> Sir,-*-Now that there is every chance of a New Zealand football team visiting Great Britain in a year or two, and as ■visits will be owing to both South Africa and New, South Wales, I would like to •make one or two suggestions. First it -has already been pointed out that the 'New Zealanders -will-have to play the game according to"■ the rules in force :in the country where they play. It •should .be the first duty then, next season, of: the; New" Zealand Union to wipe ,out the amended rule about kicking into touch.

J In-the next place, J think the wingforward should be abolished, and a new system of play introduced: I don't suggest either that New Zealand has been wrong in the past in playing a wing-forward, ,or that the latter has played off-side. jThere is, however, no getting away from the fact that all our three opponents ■do not play a.wing-forward. 'I do not :heßitate to charge him with playing unfairly.. Even Dave Gallagher, when on tour, came in for trouble, and he was also charged with putting the ball in >he scrum unfairly, although in one of the games in Wales one of our forwards got hurt and had to retire, which caused Gallagher to play in the scrum. The ball was then put in'by the referee, and yet the New Zealand hookers got possession: Still the papers did not give them credit. •

In the past there have .been various changes in the mode of placing'the men ; >n the field. For instance, when the iNative; team went Home in 1888, their Opponents invariably played nine men in We pack with two halves, three threequarters and-a full-back. The Natives found eight men in the scrum quite sufficient, and had three halves, three threequarters, and a full.. At present New Zealand only plays seven men 'in the pack with one ,half, two five-eighths, etc.; our object being to pierce the opponents defence direct, instead of sending it out too often to the three-quarter line. _ Why not try two halves, two five-eighths, three three-quarters,' and a full, thus abolishing the wing-forward and-all the friction he causes. At any rate, I should like to see the New Zealand Union take the matter up, and either call a conference, of say. a dozen old players, ■ or. invite suggestions from them, setting out plainly the trouble the wing-forward has caußed in. the past— rightly or wrongly—and asking if they thought an improvement could be made. Fortunately we. have several of the famous All Blacks still taking an interest in the game, with many well-known players of later date. "I mean' men like Fred. Roberts, Wallace, Stead, Hunter, M'Donald, Glenn, Gfray, Arthur Wilson, Nicholson, etc. ' • These .tours-are .going io. create an immense amount of interest, and I think it is worth' while for the authori- j ties to consider whether the time has not arrived for New Zealand to fall into line with the other unions in regard to I the wing-forward. If so, what should j then be the field formation of our fif- i teen? New Zealand has ; proved itself strong,.inventive, and resourceful in the. past;-and there is no reason why it should not continue to be so in the future.—l am,-etc., - ' '■ . ' - -••' OLD SECRETARY. ,;'23rd August.