TRIES IN RUGBY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 79, 30 September 1933, Page 15

TRIES IN RUGBY

NEW ZEALAND LESSONS

PRAISE FOR MINNS

In view of the fact that P. C. Minns is now resident in Wellington and likely to play in local Kugby football next season, 'the following comment by an English writer on tho University match in England last season,. with special mention- of tho ex-Auckland player, is of interest:— - "It must have occurred to many who witnessed tho University Rugby match at Twickenham that the majority of British three-quarters have" lost the art of running straight. The, game was a good and enjoyable one, but I doubt whether any one will claim that the back play was anything like so excellent as that supplied by. the forwards. '' Tho centres, with the possible exception of Lorraine, ran across the ground too much, the result being that when the wings were put in possession of the ball they had very little room iv which to move. Minns would not have scored his two tries if he had not remembered the lesions he was taught in New Zealand. There, and in other parts of the Empire, three-quarters are made to understand that the place to put the ball when a try is scored is behind tho goalposts. It -was tho fine, determined running of Minns that sent him over the line, but when he scored his second try he did not immediately plant tho ball, but made an extra effort to make more easy the task of the goal-kicker. "If Minns were a centre, and not a wing, I feel pretty sure he would not cut across the field. In the club matches I have watched this season I haye noticed that nearly all the centre-three-quarters bored their wings into touch. Perhaps I ought to except Tallent, of Blackheath, but even he has a tendency to use up too much ground on his right or left. The trouble with the Cambridge centres was that when they broke through, which was not often, they eased their pace. What they should have done when creating these openings, of course, was to have" •called on an, extra spurt.'? i