RUGBY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11767, 14 October 1932, Page 7

RUGBY

WHAT 18 WRONG:-

CR ITU TSAI OF RUGBY

SOUTH AFRICAN ViUAY

Rugby foot hall in Sum!) Alriea Ihis season has been .subjected to a good deal of criticism. Sonic of the points raised by the Kev. F. -I. .Relief are of particular interest since they are applicable to a contain extent to the game in New Zealand to-day. In the course of his criticism, published in a Cape Town paper, the Rev. Air. Relief stated: ‘•There are, to my thinking, some phases of modern Rugger which are anything but attractive—in fact, glaringly monotonous and tritlering

away time alarmingly. There are the scrum, infringements, which do not result 'in free kicks as penalties, hut a drawn-out repetition of scrum alter scrum before the ball finds its "ay finally into the scrum as it should. The monotony is watching the referee, with the whistle in his month, calling back the half-backs over and over again after repeated unsueecsslul attempt's at locating the ball into the scrum properly. Is there no remedy for sue*]) periods of encroachment upon the actual play that is in progress 'i fa jmy day (that was in 1890) Hie referee put the ball in. himselJ, and for foot-up penalised the oll'ondor by a free kick; the forwards had merely to push, in order to get possession of (he ball—a hooker would be an offender. It does not seem to me that modern scrummaging lias improved on this.

/“Positional play is not being given the attention it should . . • Then, too so much time goes into kicks—lid lie kicks—when straight miming and passing would be more .advantageous. ,Tu my day . kicking was only utilised as a. second alternative: nowadays it occupies the foremost thought and place. , “These few references I<> a long-ago past may scorn out of keeping with the trend of Rugger as R Is phoed ■to-day But at all events time and energy were not frittered away then to tho extent they are to-day. .Inlervats of useless scrummaging were unknown. The ball when once put mte tho serum -and heeled, went its way in the run of play-there was no call back to start over again. Inlcrest m boimd tp wane if this be not remedied. The kicking epidemic is. an obsession that! does not: add to the attractiveness of tlio game. Lot ns have k.ckinor but let it be subdued and m moderation; Let it he ' interspersed to advantage.’’