RUGBY PROSPECTS

Evening Post, Issue 6, 8 January 1935, Page 12

RUGBY PROSPECTS

N.Z. TEAM'S TOUR

A BOOM IN BRITAIN

WEALTH OF TALENT

Declaring that the Rugby Union game is experiencing a boom all over Britain, with a consequent improvement in standard, Mr. J. Watt, a New Zealander who has been following football closely in the Homo countries, thinks that.this year's All Blacks should win the more important matches of their coming tour, but they are not likely to have the unbeaten record of the 1924 Kow'Zealand team. "It is fairly safe to predict that the 1935 All Blacks are not going to have such an easy passage as the 1924 All Blacks had," he writes in a letter from Glasgow, published in the "Auckland Star." "I have no desire to increase, the pessimism which appears to prevail in New Zealand regarding next year's team. But as they say here in Scotland, 'facts are chiels that winna ding,' which means, in effect, that you cannot get rid of facts by shutting your eyes to them, "One fact'is that Britain as a whole is experiencing a Rugby boom—a mild one, perhaps, but still a boom. Not only is the game growing'in popularity, but there is a greater wealth of talent, than has been the case for a number of years. All four countries have many promising young, players. Of course, it is still too early to say what : sort of teams are going to be fashioned from the material to hand. We must wait for the international matches to discover that. But at least there-appears to be no lack of material. As one writer puts it: Internationals abound, and the number of first-class players is likely to .embarrass the selectors. • SELECTORS' NIGHTMARES. "An embarrassment of riches is, however, not the only worry of the selectors. The talent is not evenly distributed between the four countries. While the English selectors are unusually anxious about the position of fly-half, Wales, it is said, has so many halves that the Welsh selectors have nightmares in which they see thousands of halves rushing about like imps,, and each perform|ng prodigious feats of skill. England, oh the other hand, has an embarrassing number of three-quar^ ters. Forwards keep the Irish selectors awake at night, or disturb their sleep. Ireland is reported to have about two dozen first-class forwards of about equal merit, and they are going to take some sorting out. No doubt the selectors wish that some of them were backs, especially centre-three-quarters, for it is here that the chief weakness of Irish Rugby appears to lie. "Here1 in Scotland the season has not revealed any particularly bright stars. Nevertheless, there is plenty of youthful talent, though at the time of _ writing both Glasgow and' Edinburgh selectors are rather worried over their back divisions for the annual inter-city match. However, Glasgow and Edinburgh clubs do not represent the entire playing strength of Scotland. There are sure to be Anglo-Scots intthc Scottish fifteen again this season. The clubs of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dunformline, and-the Anglo-Scots, ought to supply the selectors with plenty of material, and Scotland ought to have a creditable rearguard.** As'for forwards, Scotland has many likely players. The Border clubs alone could supply a pretty creditable Scottish pack. Particular attention is being paid to forward play by the Border clubs this season. It is said that they wish to revive the traditional Scottish game, but they may have the, visit of the Now Zealanders in. mind also. It may be remembered that the play of tho South of Scotland forwards came as a surprise and something of a shock to the last Springboks team. STRONGEST TEAMS. "It is difficult to say which country is likely to have the best side this season, and more difficult still to foretell which country is likely to field the strongest team against the All Blacks. Tho international matches will answer the question, and will also provide grounds on which to base a prophecy with regard to the strength of the teams next season. At the moment1 it seems possiblo that England, will have the strongest teum next season. According to one critic-prophet, the English team this season will consist of a 'brilliant back division operating behind a bjg, heavy, and fast pack of forwards.' But there is one important proviso. The ! selectors must solve the fly-half problem. ' "If Wales had the wealth of talent, and especially of youthful taleut, that report says she has, then it is possible that her team will prove the toughest nut for tho All Blacks to crack. Of coursp statements liko 'a deluge of Rugby talent' ought to bo discounted, but there is no doubt that at the moment Welsh prospects are particularly rosy.' And this much is certain, when she meets the All Blacks she will be keen to repeat her success of thirty years ago. "SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT." "If Ireland can discover somo suitable backs she may have quite a formidable team. Her main strength will probably bo forward, however, and if she has a pack as fiery and impetuous as some of her packs of tho past she may well give the All Blacks something to think about. The Scottish forwards are also likely to extend the All Blacks, but, like Ireland, Scotland may lack a really first-class rearguard. At least, she is not likely to have such a back division as she had not so many years ago, when lan Smith ('The Plying Scotsman'), G. P. S. Macpherson, J. C. Dykes and H. Waddell were at thenbest. I do not think that Scotland has the equals of these players today. Still, she ought to have a serviceable team, back and forward, next year. "Just how good our best> national team will be is a matter of conjecture, and, besides, a lot depends on the standard of comparison adopted. However, it is safe to predict that the best will not be as the equal of the 1924 All Blacks. At the same time, the stand' ard of British Rugby as a whole has improved since 1924, and it is for this reason coupled with the fact that they will be playing the British style of Rugby, that the 1935 All Blacks are eoing to find more difficulty in maintaining than the 1924 All .Blacks had in creating the unbeaten record. "However, there is no need for despair or pessimism. After all, the British standard of Rugby is not so very high, and unless it has fallen very considerably I imagine that the New Zealand standard is still the higher."