RUGBY FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1923, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ft.S. WALES’ TOUR. (Per Press Association.) MASTERTON. September 17. The weather is windy and showery or the final match of the New South Vales team, against Wairarapa Bush, to-day.

THE WING FORWARD. WELLINGTON, September 17. There can be little doubt that the wing forward in Rugby football is becoming unpopular. There is a growing concensus of opinion that he spoils the game. He certainly detracts from its spectacular interest, and it is being seriously suggested here and elsewhere in the Dominion that the next team that gees to England should practice without the aid of the “winger.” If they do not play the English game and relegate the winger to his proper place, the team will not be popular in Great Britain and Ireland, in fact, if the present style of wing is insisted on, there may be trouble. It was wing play that was to a great extent responsible for the rough play in the Test match on Saturday. The New South Wales men had been blamed.

To-day the manager of the visiting team said: —“We resent very much the fact that the illegalities are alleged to have been committed only by our side. We regret that they happened, because we have been anxious all the way through to play in the best sporting spirit. The two players most concerned were great pals at the picnic yesterday. Davis, the vice-captain, who has been mentioned, was in no way concerned in either of the two incidents, and was never spoken to by Mr. Simpson. We attribute the cause of the incidents to the spoiling tactics of the wing forward, and consider that there will always be a likelihood of recurrence unlesss New Zealand airdishes the position. Coming from Auckland, where the big crowd was treated to a wonderful exhibition of fine, open play, free from spoiling tactics, we regret that we have not been able to show the Wellington public anything but a few glimpses of our true type of play.”