AN INSPIRING DREAM

Evening Star, Issue 21785, 30 July 1934, Page 14

AN INSPIRING DREAM

" HOW TO BEAT THE ‘ALL BLACKS”’ ORIGIN OF NAME Almost ever since New Zealand Rugby teams have come to Australia to play football there have been great controversies in the daily Press just prior to their arrival, the subject being ‘ How to Beat the New Zealanders ’ (writes E. E. Booth, the ex-Otago and New Zealand player, to the ‘ Sports Special,’ from Sydney). The name “ All Black ” was not known then, he writes, being conferred on the “ originals ” in 1905-06 by the ‘ Daily Mail,’ London, by John Buttery, reporter. Flaring headlines have been common —‘ How to Beat Them,’ etc., and ‘ How to Combat the Menace of the All Blacks ’ —scientific reasoning on the subject by a student. Already writers have referred to a few members of the coming team, and printed illustrations alluding to them as “ balls of muscle,” a d in optimistic vein states that “ the bigger they are the harder they will fall.” • “One writer in Sydney has had an inspiring dream ” (declares the “ General”). “ The Black foe were routed by means as simple as the proverbial placing of ‘ some salt on the bird’s tail.’ The modus operand! is so simple, why was it never thought of before. It was simply the same as a Rolls-Royce car —the application of ‘ speed, further speed, and more speed.' He writes: ‘ Our expected inferiority in weight and bulk can be compensated by the application of speed, and, in short, literally to run the All P’acks off their feet. '' ‘ Don’t attempt to master the All Blacks in close rucks by weight and force. . . . We must not try to out-rough them or oppose them in tight rucks.’- This is thoughtful and kind.” “ No,” says the “ General,” “ he recommends the employment of extra fast lively cruiser forwards excelling in loose rucking, and so run them off their feet. With perhaps only 50 per cent, of possession from the scrums his tactical plan is to give them no rest—always play to the open side. _ Literally make a real marathon affair of the match.” So they go on recommending wave after wave ” of passing attacks, the backs to tackle low and fall on the ball stopping rushes. In fact, it is conceived to keep up a continuity of such fast attacking that the invaders will get out o’’ position, thus leaving the road to vietorv open. The Sydney critic writes: “ The trend of nicy will often suggest the best plan little things are tremendously important in Rugby,” and so on. ■“ No doubt the New South Wales and Australian selectors will profit very much by some of the advice offered therein.”