RUGBY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 144, 20 June 1931, Page 20

RUGBY

By "ohopkickANOTHER OUTBURST

RULES AND RULINGS

"REMAINING PASSIVE"

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES. SENIOR A.

The rales of Rugby football continue to create live discussion, and a new lino has been taken as a result of an incident in the Poneko-Hutt senior A g rade match at Athletic Park last Saturday. In a serum in. the .Hutt twenty-five a penalty Icicle was awarded to Ponekc, and when the luck_ was unsuccessful the kicker was given another opportunity to land a goal, and this time he succeeded. The awarding of the second kick came as a surprise to some followers of the game, but notody was more surprised than the liutt players. To those following events closely and knowing the rules the reason for the second kick was obvious There had been movement by Hutt ■players during the time in which they were required by Ihc rules to remain "passive." The report of a discussion on the matter at this week's meeting of the "Wellington Rugby Union s Management Committee indicated that there "was an impression that the referee awarded tho second kick on account of a player standing on the mark (or thereabouts) with his hands on his hins. Players have adopted that attitude quito frequently without any action being taken by the referee, and it seems that the referees arc prepared to accept that as "a natural position. It is wrong, however, for players to do anything that might put the kicker off his' kick, and if they move when tho kicker is in the act of making his kick they lun the risk of being penalised. More than ono player moved in the case under notice, but, it is understood, the referee (Mr. H. S. Loith) singled out only one in awarding a second kick when the first was unsuccessful. This ease is not by any means tho only one that has been noticed this season of players not remaining "passive." Other teams have been at fault, but in most cases they have been lucky enough to get away with it. Apart from moving as the kick is being taken, players have "been seen to advanco beyond the mark, and for this they are liable to be penalised as in the case of the particular infringement last Saturday. The referee was not springing anything new ■upon the players in ruling as ho did. However, a member of the' Wellington Eugby Union's Management Committee is reported as saying that it seemed that soon players would have to spend two nights a week "swotting" tho rules and rulings instead of training. The players should know tho rules, and there has been any amount of time to become conversant with the rule about players remaining "passive" when a penalty, kick is being taken. Of long Standing. A section of-. Law 24 (penalty kick) states: "The opposing side must remain passive on or behind a line through the mark parallel to the goal line, until the kick has been taken." Some years ago there was a good deal of discussion as to what was meant by "passive." The Kugby Football Union'(England) decided in 1925 "that remaining passive meant to imply that the opponents should not interfere in any way with the kicker by distracting his attention by unusual movements, and that players were not allowed to extend their arms above their heads in the case of penalty kicks, as it was not a natural position for players to take up when standing about the field." That did not prove entirely satisfactory, and the International Board gave the following ruling: "Passive means that a player must remain standing with his hands by his side and must not in any way attempt to put the kicker off his kick." Tho ruling that appears in the handbook of the New Zealand Eugby Referees' Association is as follows:— ' ' jfassive means that a player must remain standing in a natural position, with his hands by/his side, and must not in any way attempt to put the kicker oil his kick." As mentioned in "The Post" last Saturday, the New .Zealand Rugby Union's Management Committee last week decided that, as cases of players not remaining passive had been noticed, the attention of referees bo called to the matter of enforcing the rule. The fact that the "Wellington Eugby Union did not receive any notice to this effect before last Saturday's games made no difference whatever to the position. The rule is one of long standing, and it was applied by one referee last Saturday as it should have been enforced on all previous occasions. Dental Injuries. In view of the attitude adopted' to-' wards tho case of a Berhainpore player by the Management Committee of the "Wellington Eugby Union at this week's meeting, there appears to be little prospect of dental expenses being paid to players unfortunate to have good, sound teeth broken or damaged in the course of a game. Dental injuries arc not recognised by tho Management Committee in the same light as injuries to a player's legs, arms, or other part of the body, but it seems hardly reasonable or fair that a player who has a tooth broken, provided it is shown that tho tooth.was sound, should not have some claim against the ■ union's , accident funds. Surely a broken tooth is an injury just as, much as a broken finger or some other mishap is an injury. Aud yet the Rugby Union's Management Committee apparently draws a distinction. It is recognised that heavy,calls are made on the funds each season as. the result of injuries to players, but nevertheless, to place a player who has a tooth broken in a match in a different category from a player who receives some other injury docs not appear to be right. It.is understood that thero have been cases in the past whore dental expenses liavc been paid, and the financial position of the union today is not such as to preclude it from meeting legitimate expenses for damaged teeth. t Fine Team Work.

The value of sound organisation was demonstrated very clearly in Poneko's performance agninst Hutt. Whatever their 'natcrial, Poneke are generally a hard ..earn to beat, and one of tho reasons is the excellent grounding which the players receive in team taef.ics. Team work was mainly responsible for Poncko's decisive defeat of Hutt.

It would bo difficult to find two

better all-round forwards in any club team than Jessup and M'Phcrsona Theso Poueke stalwarts were in themselves more than a handful for Hutt. Their fine work only commenced with the duties in which they are rated as specialists. Jessup did his hooking and M'Pherson his locking, and betweon that work they figured as great forwards in the tight and in the loose. By way of an extra flourish to their fine work, they indulged in a bout of in-and-out passing which was one of the titbits of tho game. Under .T. Shearer's guidance tho Poneke ,j>aek, and, in fact, the whole team, operated with an excellent understanding of requirements, and thero was no letting-up from start to finish. Tho extent of energy expended in tho first spell created doubt in some . minds as to whether Ponckc could kocp going so well until the finish. They kept going all right, and finished on so well as to make their superiority over the previously unbeaten team very marked. Dickson, Organ, Quirke, and Stone, with those already mentioned, mako up a fine pack. There is undoubtedly good material in the Hutt pack, but it was not used to the best advantago against Poneke. Tho full weight was not thrown m when it was most required, and there was generally a tendency towards individualism. .Taggers, Coulston, aud Roberts were in need of more help from Peek, Barry, and the others in the tight, and had this been given the service to tho backs might have been better, even though Poneke were quick to . break up attempts at combined play by the backs. Sadler was off form behind the Hutt pack, but Martin, the Poneke half-back, gave one of his best displays, with the result that Neal and Griffiths were ' able to show their worth as a very promising pair of fiveeighths. Ono back who hud a particularly heavy day's work was Lilburne, who not only accomplished groat things for his side on defence, but also made valiant attempts to win tho day by some determined solo work on attack. Ball did not receive many opportunities as an attacking player. His defensive work was not up to the standard required of a playor of his class. Eastbourne in Form. Mention has been,made in these columns that Eastbourne have not reproduced this season the dashing ... form which characterised their play last year, but against Petone they played a game out of the box.' In the first spell they took full advantage of the few scoring opportunities that camo their way, and in the second they defended so "resolutely that Petone were unable to pull" the game out of the fire. Eastbourne's return to form was particularly marked in the forwards, whore J. Delabarea, with his propensity for unexpected and spqedy breakaways, was always a thorn in Petone's side, with Price, Drummond, and Gibbons ready to lend assistance. Eastbourne gave Taylor Iris first chance with them as half-back, a position in which he played well when with the Bcrhampore Club. Taylor demonstrated that, with further practice, he should reach his best form.-' Diuniss, on the wing, played one of -his best games, his swerve and speed repeatedly cutting holes in the Petone defence. Foloy and Armstrong also went well. As was predicted early iv the season, there has been a big improvement in Brieo's play, and he now gets the ball away to his backs fairly smartly. J. Lambourne is a solid connecting link, and Nieholls and Pollock frequently have the opposition nonplussed. Nieholls has played splendidly in recent club matches, and Pollock's all-round play is first-class. Valk has improved on the wing, his handling being much surer than it was. Puzzling Marist. It would 'seem on performances that if Marist receive a good thrashing one week they may be expected to make an excellent showin, even though they be playing a stronger team, on the following Saturday. AVho would have thought, particularly in view of their sorry exhibition against Old Boys, that they would have triumphed over Wellington? And yet Marist did,' and very convincingly, too. Marist certainly have, an extraordinary habit of rising to unexpected heights just at a time when through a poor display the impression has been created that they aro not of much account. Marist's tactics against Wellington were sound. The forwards played splendidly, giving no quarter, and the backs, after a rather poor beginning, were quick to take advantage of mistakes by the opposition. The backs played well up on the Wellington back line, with the result that, with the exception of a period in the first spell, the efficiency of Wellington's scoring machiuory suffered, notwithstanding the efforts made by Kilby, Johnson, and Page. Just how dangerous Wellington would have been if given the room to manoeuvre in was shown when bright passing movements ended iv Ball racing over the lino quite early in the game for three tries in quick time. These trios scored by Ball, who also, scored a fourth in the second spell, topped off splendid bursts of passing, initiated by Kilby, and in -which Page each time drew the defence cleverly to give the winger the best chance possible. Notes. Through what appeared to be a bad error of judgment on the part of the captain, Miramar threw away an almost certain win against University. With the scores level and only a few minutes to go, Miramar were awarded a penalty kick right in front of the University goal. It looked to be a sitting, shot for either Pinkerton or Smith, the goal-kickers of the team, but tho former decided to punt the ball out to Parfltt on the wing. Parfitt was unmarked at tho moment, but the University players quickly bottled him up and Miramar's chance of gaining their second' win for the season was gone.

■ University were unlucky in losing Mackenzie, Ramson, and Mahoney, and it was only the individual dash infused into their work which saved the day for them.

One featuro of the Bcrhamporc-Ath-letic gamp was the willing clash between tho forwards. Borhamporc obtained the ball from most of the scrums through good hooking by Mollier and Charles, but the advantage in this respect was lost through the inability of the inside backs to feed' the wing threequarters. The Athletic backs figured in some nico movements when they did get possession of tho ball, and to this :the side owes its victory.

Burgess, the Athletic half-back, gave a good all-round display, and Diack, first five-eighths, was also well in the picture, although he was inclined to hold on .i little too long.

I Watson, the, A.thletie wing-fßrward, was a thorn in tho side of the Bcrhampore backs. His try in tho second spell was tho result of a determined i^eee of work.

Mailman again impressed by his game as full-back for Bcrhampore. Ho is very seldom flurried by the tactics of the opposing forwards. Mollier and Charles, apart from doing excellent work in the scrum, also went well in the loose. They are a very energetic pair. The Canterbury Rugby Union has announced its choico of five referees for representative games. AVcllingtou 's five is not yet known,'but'on recent exhibitions at Athletic ParTc there should be no doubt about throe of the places being filled by Messrs. J. MofQtt, J. A. Wilson, and H. S. Leith. Among others well in the running was Mr. O. Rathbon, but he recently under: went an operation in hospital. Some of the younger referees are heading ■the right way for "representative honours."

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