TOWN-COUNTRY RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 11 (Supplement)

TOWN-COUNTRY RUGBY

LESSONS FROM WEDNESDAY’S GAME GOOD COMBINATION OF METROPOLITAN BACKS OTAGO TEAM PROSPECTS DISCUSSED [By Hookku.] Special interest centred on the game between the Otago SubUnions team and the Metropolitan fifteen, played at Tahuna Park last Wednesday, in view of the fact that the majority o fthe members of the Town team were regarded as strong probabilities for the Otago team in the Shield fixture at Invercargill. The game was a bright one, with the Town backs over-running the opposition and scoring one or two very spectacular tries.

The game could be regarded as a good work-out for the Shield game, and the play of the hades showed that Otago should bo able to field a back lino capable of scoring tries, providing that their forwards can procure a reasonable percentage of the ball. Since this was the first time they had played together this season, the combination shown by the backs was surprisingly good, and their handling of a slightly greasy ball was first class. Improvement in Back Formation Needed. The formation taken up by the backs on attack and defence could be improved. They were too prone to stand too wide and lose touch with one another. This will need attention, as when backs_ stand too far apart and one of the inside men penetrates it is almost impossible for the three-quarter line to pick them up again. By taking up a staircase formation, it is much easier to pick up a back who has cut through the defence and so get into position to send the ball to the unmarked man, who is almost invariably the wing three-quarter. Mitchell, M'Cartney, and Black were all offenders in this respect, but in the second spell there was an improvement in this department of the game, and it is to be hoped this will be maintained next week. Then again, on defence the outside backs of the Town team were too slow in getting back to support the full-back when the Country forwards penetrated. There is no reason why a threequarter line of the Metropolitan’s calibre should not break back smartly and assist in the defence when the opposing forwards have broken througu. There is ample time for the three-quar-ters to get back into position again if the opposing movement is stopped and the opposing forwards bring their backs into a further movement by a heel from a loose scrum.

This department of play will have to be closely watched, as it may be expected that the Southland forwards will turn on many sweeping dribbling rushes in the Ranfurly Shield fixture To keep Southland out every Otago back will have to be prepared to back up on every occasion on defence and take his turn when it comes to stopping a dribbling rush. It was noticed on one or two occasions following forward rushes by the Town team that when the Town hacks already bad an overlap Perriam and Mitchell were inclined to cut in when they should have concentrated on giving the wing three-quarter a straight run to the full-back, with plenty of room to work on. Another feature was the inclination of some of the Town backs to send out slightly lobbed passes, but this was no doubt due to the fault already mentioned of their standing too wide, and when the back formation is slightly improved this will ho automatically corrected.

Generally speaking the backs showed good form, and no doubt, under the expert coaching of Mr V. G. Cavanagh, sen., they will eliminate some of these faults. In L. H. Simpson, Otago is fortunate to possess a clever half-hack who is also a very game and determined defensive player.

Perriam’s Adaptability. By fitting in so well at second fiveeiglith Perriam showed that he is a footballer of ability and resource as he is accustomed to playing centre threequarter in his club. A slight fault in his play was an inability at times to straighten up the attack, but this was no doubt due to the fact that a centre three-quarter’s play is slightly different to that of a second five-eighth. A centre may quite frequently run obliquely in an effort to draw the opposing wings, but if done too often at second five-eighth this is inclined to drive the passing too much across the field and consequently leaves the three-quar-ter line with too many of the opposition in front of them.

One of the main essentials of second five-eighth play is to straighten up the attack so that the threequarter line will have as much room as possible to work in. R. Silver, at full-back, showed

that he was a very powerful loft-foot kick, but his right foot did not seem quite so reliable. He was not tested in straight-out tackling, but there seems little reason to doubt he will maintain his club form against Southland.

Metropolitan Forwards Improve After Interval.

Tlio Town forwards started in a rather lifeless manner, and not until the second spell did they show any definite superiority over the Country. Since the Metropolitan pack was selected from teams that are intensively coached throughout the year, the players should have packed aud rucked more solidly and cleverly than they did. Both in set scrums, line-outs, and rucks the Metropolitan forwards lacked in packing strength and vigour, and consequently this accounted for a great deal of slowness in getting the ball smartly out to the half-back. One or two of the Country forwards were inclined to play very loose, and on one or two occasions when the Country had two or three men standing on the side of a ruck the Town team should have been able to push the remaining Country forwards who were in the ruck off the ball or else have gone right through with it at their feet.

This definitely indicated that the packing of the Town forwards was not so vigorous as will be necessary nest week, when every man will have to pack low and give every ounce of his weight to secure the ball or start loose rushes. Vorrath, Treacy, Walker, and Parkhill scrummaged in the manner characteristic of Otago packs in the past, but some of the others suffered noticeable lapses from form. When a Country back was tackled in possession or went down to a loose forward rush the Metropolitan forwards, instead of endeavouring to heel the ball to their backs as smartly as posisble to utilise tbe gap in the defence, were inclined to fall over tbe top of the tackled player and consequently buried the ball, necessitating a set scrum and losing the advantage of a gap in the defence since the other side was able to regain position.

By the inclusion of Niven and M‘Donald in the Otago team there should be at least an improvement in this respect, as they have in the past shown themselves masters of this department of play.

Country’s Lack of Cohesion. The Country backs showed a lack of cohesion which was the main reason for their inability to penetrate. The formation they took up on attack was too flat and gave them no room to gather pace when coming up to take their passes. It is necessary in back play for every man to attempt to take his pass at top speed, and to do this an attacking team has to take up a staircase formation.

The Sub-unions half-back, H. Annan, started the Country attacks quite well, and though not exceptionally fast in.' his service scut out well-placed passes, but the first five-eighth, J. C. Kearney, too often threw away the advantage by kicking without any judgment. In a game of this kind Kearney would have done much better to have modelled himself on Trevathan, who sent the ball on to outside backs at every opportunity. Most of the outside Country backs did not see sufficient of the ball for their attacking ability to be gauged, P. Shand, a winger, looked as though he might bo a dangerous scoring man if given the ball. There was no doubt about bis defence, and bis effective stopping of Black was a very noticeable feature of the game. If bis attack is on the same plane as bis defence be should be a candidate for a place in tbe Otago touring team. M'Fadzien at full-back, played a very sound game, and it was through no fault of bis that the score was so big. as he kicked with judgment and tackled solidly.

Tbe forwards were a bustling, lively lot, and while the defence of the Country team stood up to tbe demands made on it tbe van made a good showing, but when tbe Sub-unions backs began to wilt a little and threw unnecessary work on tbe Country forwards tb« strain was too much, and they began to fade. Tbe lack of cohesion evident was due no doubt to tbe few opportunities tbev have bat! of practising as a team, but M'Lellnnd and .Tolly both plaved first-rate games, with Gregg also showing promise. Whether or not anv of these nlayers are Included in tbe Otago team for tho Ranfurlv Shield game against Southland, there should certainly be two or three in tbe Otago side to tour the north Inter in tbe year. POSSIBLE OTAGO TEAM. It would appear that a strong team to represent Otago would be; Full-back. Silver. Three-nuarters —W. A. Black, N. A. Mitchell, L. Werner. Five-eiohths—W. A. Perriam, D. Trevathan. Half-back. L. H. Simpson. Forwards —P. Treacy. T. Graham. G, M‘nonalH. A. A. Parkhill, F. H. Vorrath. N. H. Irwin, L. Niven, J. Walker. With regard to the forwards, it mnv be a ouestion whether Graham is good enough to gain a place for bis hooking alone. If the selectors take the vjevr that his hooking ability is of first importance, the front line will probably ho Treacy. Graham. otherwise it may he Treacy. Ouaid. and M‘T)onnld. Parkhill amt Vorrath. am certainties ns locks with Irwin and Walker the Bkelv breakaways: though M'Lellaml. Neiper. and Naylor, must, of course, he conceded a chance of a place. If fit after his recent injury Niven should bo in tbe back row.