RUGBY TALENT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 126, 30 May 1928, Page 7

RUGBY TALENT

SOUTH AFRICAN PLAY VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS Interesting points about play and players in South Africa, together with 'an opinion that the Springboks will win the rubber against New Zealand in the coming Eugby football Tests, were given by A. L. H. Gotloy, - ox-Oxford University and English representative player, when invited to give general impressions on the game in South Africa, which country ho was visiting. "1 have been greatly struck with tie mobility of the forwards representing Transvaal and Orange free State," lie said. "It is a great advantage to a side to possess forwards like Prctorius, who'can be called upon to lill a temporary vacancy in the back division caused by injury and to ' fill the part quite efficiently. Too often mobility and speed on the part of the forwards means that the work in the scrum suffers. This failing cannot bo attributed to the local forward who evidently realises that the first essential of any good, pack is to get possession of the ball in the serum, an impossibility unless eack unit puts every ounce of weight into operation. In this respect Louw sets Transvaal scrummagers a fine example. KEEN SPIRIT. "Another pleasing- feature of local football is the keen tackling, and this was well demonstrated in the last Currie Cup fixture between the Transvaal and the Free State. .1 am very glad to see the keen spirit which prevails in. local (Transvaal) football. True, this keenness occdsionaljy leads to minor lapses and infringments of the rules, ibut they are seldom intentional and do not so often merit a penalty as the referee's whistle would give one to understand. .Apart'from this tendency to over-strictness, the local referees seem, to carry out their duties most keenly and impartially.- With regard to the half and three-quarter backs I cannot say I consider local talent in any way superior to the British, except possibly in kicking. Even in this last important respect it must be borne in mind that it is easier to kick a dry ball in tho more rariflcd- atmosphere of the Transvaal than it is a wet one on a slippery ground, the usual conditions in England. ' i PLAY OF THE BACKS. "I do nof cavil at tho tackling or general defensive work of local backs, which leave very little to bo desired, but I confess I am somewhat disappointed with their attacking powers, in which they seem to have no finesse. "There seems too great A tendency on the part of the back division to line up too straight in attack, which, to my mind, seems a fatal mistake. "Once, the ball leaves tho serum the whole of the back division invariably careers right across the field, and the unfortunate wings are cither forced into touch or tackled before they have a chanco of getting up any -speed. Even if they do find time to get off tho mark they certainly have insufficient room in which to manoeuvre, which is a pity with good wings like Prinsloo and Oosthuizen. "Some of tho backs, Sieff, Hudson, Dobie, and Wansbury, in particular, employ tho break-through quite cleverly, but it loses its effectiveness because they frequently, overdo it. I should like to see a happy medium between tho mechanical break-through and the | abortive meander across tho field, ending in futility on the touch-line. It is almost impossible to propound a definite method of attaining this medium except by suggesting that the fly-half and-three-quarters line back deeper in attack and make up their minds to take their passes a"t the top of their speed. A class back should instinctively know how to manoeuvre so as to run. straight . ••at the exact moment ho receives his pass, but this knowledge is really the touch qf genius, the possession of which raises a player out of the common ruck. No doubt I shall be able to qualify these remarks cm back play when I have seen tho Western Province backs in action, as I am told the standard, of back play is particularly high in the Capo Province. Of local full-backs I have been most impressed with Brink, who seems to have a clover sense ,of anticipation, which more than makes up for his lack of speed, though young Bekkcr is a promising player and second to none in pluck. ' "UNDOUBTED TALENT/1 .. [ "In conclusion, I must admit that on the whole my impressions of local football have been of tho happiest, but that I should like to see a few games in Natal and the Capo before forming any really fixed opinions about the general ' standard of play prevailing throughout the Union. "However, with only my limited local knowledge of South African football, I am willing to lay^a modest wager

that, provided the selection committco make a. judicious choice among tho undoubted talent of players tins country possesses, a task incidentally I do not envy them, the Springboks will win the rubber in the Test matches against tho All Blacks next season and. so prove themselves* the Eugby champions of the world."