COMING RUGBY CLASH

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 36, 11 August 1927, Page 12

COMING RUGBY CLASH

SOUTH AFRICAN FEELING

NEW ZEALAND RECORD

The news that New Zealand has consented to meet South Africa in four Tests next year will be very satisfying to Bugby enthusiasts in the land of the Springbok, but they have yet to be satisfied that everything necessary is being done in their own country to have the players .properly fitted to meet the invaders.

It is little exaggeration to say that scarcely a week passes, but what we hear something from New Zealand about the wonderful preparations they are making for their tour in South Africa nevt season (says a contributor to the Durban "Advertiser"). On the other hand we hear precious little of what it is intended to do in this country to_ beat the invaders. It would be perhaps unfair to ladle out any blame for this. The present Currie Cup tournament is generally accepted in official circles as being a preliminary step towards intensive trials to follow. To that end a Selection Committee has already been appointed and is, I think, making an honest effort to carry out its Til Collf ientiously. Every member of the Selection Committee, for example, saw the Western Province matches with Natal and the Transvaal But the rank ana file do not know all this, and there is little doubt that a teeimg of depression is growing I can truthfully say that dozen of feople have spoken to me on the subject, and with very f ew - exceptions the opinion they have expressed is that South Africa _is m for a whacking. Let that opinion grow and let it be voiced sufficiently often to the players who will represent South Africa next season, and it cannot fail to have a baneful psychological effect on them. Players are only hum. an _ beings- As an example of this, the late Mr. H. C. Bennett, manager of the Springbok team which visited New Zealand, had to complain of the depressing effect the adverse criticisms expressed about that side had on the players. NEW ZEALAND TACTICS. The -growing public opinion that South Africa will be beaten is based very largely on the wonderful record of the all-conquering All Blacks at Home m 1924-25, and the preparations one hears the New Zealanders are making for their 1028 invasion of this country. Moreover, we are told by enthusiastic admirers of the New Zealand formation that unless we learn to counteract it by adopting that formation ourselves we are lost.

There is one answer at least to that contention. South Africa met New Zealand iii New Zealand sis years ago and nmshed with at least honours even despite the fact that South Africa played her own game. As a matter of fact it was demonstrated on that tour tha the ISew Zealand formation is aetuallv inferior to that of South Africa. "This was the considered opinion of T. B Pienaar, the Springbok captain, ana it was expressed in no uncertain fashion by him on his return. As Mr. Pienaar is a member of the South African Selection Committee, and as we know the opinions of another member of that committee with regard to the wing-for-ward, viz., Mr. S. A. Townsend, there is little,danger of South Africa being suicidal enough to change her methods That the New Zealand method answers well enough when introduced against inferior sides is not disputed. It is quite probable that next season we shall see our provincial sides beaten by not only the wing-forward, but by the kick and rush tactics the New Zealandors employ. Such tactics, however, are of little avail against a steady back division composed of men who are reliable fielders. IMPROVED STANDARD. The unbeaten Tecord of the Now Zea- V landers at Home is admittedly a very fine performance; but I, for one, do not think it would have happened had the All Blacks played Scotland that year, or had the English selectors not played ducks and drakes with the English side. Scotland won all her international matches that season. Against Ireland, whom the Scotsmen beat at Dublin by 14 points to S, New Zealand only won by a penalty goal and a try to nil, despite the fact that the Irish was the lighter pack. Their quick breaking and following up put the New Zealand" ers oS their game. That New Zealand has improved since 1921 must be admitted. Only six of the men who played for New Zealand against South Africa were included amongst the 29 players who visited the United Kingdom. The New Zealand improvement is a fact we have to recognise. "We are also entitled to recognise that our own standard has improved, though this may be denied by pessimists. The Currie Cup tournament has already revealed that next season South Africa will field what is probably the finest pack of forwards she has ever had.

It will not merely be a case of weight. The men will be pushers in the scrum and capable in every department of forward play outside the scrum.

Individually ana collectively they will be a match for any eight—or seven— New Zealand can field.

Forwards do not win matches. That was demonstrated very clearly in the Western Province-Natal game But a winning pack ia a tremendous factor towards a side's success if it has behind it a reasonably good back division. That division, I think, we shall have next season. It may not be as strong at centro as we should like to see. lhat is an old standing weakness in a comparative senso which cannot be denied; but we ought to be considerably stronger at fly-half and on the wings than we were in 1924, also at full-bad Nor are we likely to be let down at scrum-half. ANOTHER DANGER. It would be foolish to go to the other extreme and assert that South Africa rail win the rubber next season. There is no more justification for- being do£rI matic m that direction than there is I for the sweeping statements that are being made that South Africa will lose, llic time is approaching, though when we ought to hear what it is intended to do between the termination ot the Currie Cup competition and the playing of the first Test match. Little satisfaction was obtained from the trial matches attempted in 1924, so it is to be hoped that any series of trials which may be held will be held under real match conditions. A season or so aeo >iatal pressed for an annual North v South match; tho Northern side to be selected from those centres which participate in the Northern Provinces tourn^ ment. Had that suggestion been adopted we would be in a better position to say what our best XV. is today than we are. Valuable time has been lost, and this has given the croakers their opportunity. The croakers 7aoA ln/? U ton Sue on tfle eve of the 1924 matches, and the first Test; played m Durban, certainly seemed to lend support to what they had said. Subsequent events showed it to be otherwise, out all the same we must not forget bSk.J, T^ %™ y UMePresentative iSritish back division which appeared for the visitors that season. Only five of the 13 British backs who played in the Test matches in this country played m international matches the following £?£&£""• A»a —that flatter!; the four Tests, making a total of 28 P aces Only 13 of those 28 places were tiled by men who were capped for their respective countries the season after outLl^* c\ S°W f "ca- The seven outsiders who had represented their countries in 1924 &},& 16 of the 28 positlot* *° Pl3y 1U aD accustomed • n°, t ° n ne.of the Tests was the British back division up to the standard of that of cither Scotland or England It is well that this should also bf empha- * sed, because even in high quarters here arc those who are prone ?o overvalue the wins of 1924. That also U : - danger which must be guarded against*