RUGBY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11949, 20 May 1933, Page 11

RUGBY

Y teamformation. . : VIEWS,;,<XF Otri) -Js'OTEiD, ' WELSH; LACK. Writing in a Loiidori .paper, toceht ly,. Cfom Lewis, -a iioted Welsh Rugby buck of about : 2(J. yours ago, said: “My 'mind; lias often bqcn exercised us'to whet her or not the last word has been said.upon tho formation of a team in Rugby. We Hugger people terribly -oonseryativo, but it is silly to let our conservatism stand in our way by insisting that U only with two i half-backs ] 'four three-quar-ters, arid one full-back eaii the game bo played.” Clem. Lewis's remarks ■ were prompted by. 'the experiment, made at Devonport, of playing a team haying ono .half-back, four threequarters; and three full-backs, ag-

ainst the*, normal British formhtiOif ;• Fof several. reasons the experiment was not successful, but it has caused sonig British writers on the game; as well as many , players to give some : thought to the question of teamformation. Lewis’s- viewb on this subject are the most interesting of those I have read since the Dovoriport experiment, says a Southern writer, because lie ’ refers tb what imed to be the New' Zealand scrum formation until Home 1 unions and the International Rugby Board deprived tho Dominion of its traditional scrum by so cbahging.the: law about the scrummage that the British system of having three men in tho front row bf the -scrum was practically forced upon New Zealand.

“I have a notion,’’ says Clcin. Lewis, “that the •seven forwards and eight hacks idea is a sound one,, if only some, simple method could bo hit upoai whereby wo could' assimilate this extra niaii behind the scrummage. 1. . It is not overstating things in saying that a scrummage composed of eight is oil the cumbrous side. After a forward is for some .reason withdrawn from ascrum the seven retained generally heel better and quicker.” So far, New Zealand Ilugby opinion iii general is, of course, entirolj with Cloth. Lewis. However, he says, also: “It is my belief that two opposing .scrummages, composed of seven' forwards, with three in the front row and four in the second, would prove a quicker- and cleaner heeling machine than the present one of eight fbnvkrds" in three rows.” On the arrangement of a seven-man pack. New Zealand opinion differs: from liitti. ,

It may be noted that SV. AV.', Wakefield'. the greatest of English, forwards since the war, considered that while, for., an emergency during * game,' 3-4 wus the. simplest and most effective hiethod of packing . for.-. Severn forwards, it- was not tho best for a regular formation of seven. "Wakefield" wrote. some.'years ago: "Tor seven "fbrwarfls the2-3B method is undoubtedly the most elective! if the team' nas plenty-tf = opportunities . for combined practice, and if the ,1 IU I vidual members of the packi ia 'h c ' necessary .attributes : and ai e able to hhav -regularly/; m w '• • It-is horribly tantalising, though, to read any British, writer s . aciyocaey of a seven-man sCrum, New Zealand has lost -the most effi. oieiit forward formation simply through the insular conservatism o British Ilugby legislators who have a fixed idea that repression of players throughout the Empire, by means of stringent laws, is the best remedy f oi - weaknesses in-,the game m their own islands. This British repression of players is causing a depression m Dominion Rugby. -• iQlcm Lewis suggests that the eighth back be used as a second fullback. ■ That is aii interesting suggestion, but licit a new one. ' An expermental formation which had .seven forward's aiid two full-backs was tried in several matches by a club in Lancashire some considerable time ago, and it was not altogether unsuccess/ ful although it was not persevered with "long ' enough; E<> v reasons which would take too-much space detail at the moment, the first Bftheirs ; of most "of' the ' leading English clhhs 'chaiige'- their .. Jf. niuoh. from match; to match, ioi a y ekpefiment tliey make with 11 forihatioii-th'-bov satisfactory unlossnt is' persevered with 'lor'at least the greater part of a season. ' . ' ’ 'When ■ two full 1 backs - are their Butießhfp offensive as much as i i bhe has to assist:"blip, attack whch ’ bis team -up attacking. 13ut tp. New Zealand ideas,., a .ppakness- of this .plan is i ; that ••B; yisuaiscs tho- ‘tlireh-<ifi afters - as-the •- mainspfuig of tho - attack', .. /vhereup . the beß New' Zealand methods of; bacl f are based; on ■ the <* pohetxation(first By; the.. hHVoro p.rOgressivenhs's •in .Ttughy, no .#“* aiijp ratof-hy -the • vvdpch thoh' : <>l4-fasiiioned : school -of. _ I .S still- kas/onßt,. the r,rimarv' ; POint v ih ; tho . evolution; v of > lliigby . .formations ;in 'NCw Zealan would / simply. be ; absorptioii o rfbsition the ipivotal; pqinfc^ 0 t at?^ch'.byvtho, ; h a eksy:withoiit;.liis'.h6-termed.-'a - "client., ...... ... ■ /.ah’ -; ; '

RUGBY STRATEGY. *

THE “DRQPPJED ..GOAL” AND THE FULL-BACK.

Writing iif the “Morning Post” (London) on the subject of strategy in Rugby 3 Mr j. A. Davies, the ex-in-ternational of Eng]and, says:— When, attacking, overy player should on tho look-out , for 'a clianc© to drop a goal. Tho opportunity , comes and recurs, hut it is impossible to say precisely when the- circumstances are prdpitious. It should only b e tried, when there is reasonable charice of success. Most attempts are justified! when they are successful, but not al-. ways. J remember dropping a goal oiico at. Twickenham, and almost before the ball had almost left my foot I' saw a possible. Opening for a /try near tho-goal-post. . • I had 'forgot ton the incident in. the excite-mient of tlio match, but my mistake -was poiuted out immediately after the game by one of the ten members of the- selection committee, who misses very little when watching. Full-backs often iiiidw reasonable chances to slip through their fingers. When pressing near the opponents’ goal-lino they should lie very close up in the hope of fielding the ball wijtbiii poking range of tho goal. A drop is the. only thing to attempt then, as to kick (to touch would bo unwise.

There is only one final point to which. I should tike to call , attention, and that is-the advantage of two or three players following up a kick which tho opposing f ull-back or any othfer player is fielding. The kicker must follow to put the other players on-side, but ho lalorie is 'generally powerless to atop the full-back getting iii a return kick. It is. easy for 4 full* Lack to avoid one player rushing at him full speed .Ho will find very much greater difficulty if two other players come /up, oiie oh each side of the first He is then, forced, to kick hurriedly, aid it .'is "far better for him in these circumstances to bo caught with the ball rather than to get the kick charged down.” . ,

FOOTBALLERS’ DRESS The opinion that the Taihape representative Rugby team, which is to meet Wanganui at Taihape to-day, should play with their jerseys tucked inside their shorts has been expressed by Dr Kronfield, of Taihape. “Many a player .is collared by his jersey and many jerseys arc torn because they are not worn in the manner I have suggested,” he said. “I know of clubs that compel their layerps o wear their 'jerseys that way, and. it looks neatei. I hope it will be adopted ; in Taihape.”

ALL BLACK A. E. COOKE. CONTRACT WITH LEAGUE CLUB. There was a good deal of. speculation at the end of last football season where A. E. Cooke, of All Black fame, would play this, winter if he decided to continue an active interest m the game. , . , Last year .Cooke transferred 'bis jntenests from Rugby Union to the Rugby League codp, • and it- is recorded that attendances at Carslaw Park, Auckland, showed an appreciable rise each time Ire appeared there with the Richmond Rovers.

Through losing employment., Cooke removed from Auckland to To Al'oka, wher Rugby Union is, the only code! of football played. It was suggested frequently that Cooke might -apply to the- New Zealand Rugby Union for reinstatement, though probably be bad nothing to do witli overtures which, it was said, were made on. bis behalf. According to the Jtugby League editor of tho “New Zealand Refeioe, Cookie, signed an agreement to play for the Richmond club, and unless the club felt disposed to release him from it he would . .not he able to play under tlie Rugby Union banner (even if he were reinstated. . . The writer adds that in Auckland it is expected that arrangements wdl soon bo. completed whereby Cooke will lay for Richmond for the remainder Of the season. Prom this, it nmy be gathered that the Richmond club s officers anticipate finding the All Black fui - - or employment-., , ~ . •

Condemnation of tlie fluctuation of land values was made >y Buckle ton in aii address, at.. ang on tlie subject of rehabilitating ie primary industries. He said that dealincr and speculation in hmd wa s t o basic cause of the economic troubles of this country. He urged that a s's-stein of valuation should be applied to land based on the productive value of tlie stock it carried. './ ‘I will. never be persuaded chat exchange is a matter .for anybody but' the banks,’;’ .stated hL’. lb. B u< " hlCton, of Wellington, to a luncheon Fathering of business men. and |armers.iu Wanganui. /‘Doesn’t it :stiuke^ yon, gentlemen,: that several Euio-, peah countries that monkeyed W L ;-, their exchange "at one-time or other, Whether there’are Hitlers or no Hit-. ichs, will not monkey with it again; They have had the taste of it, anti, cloht want -'it again. We aro just,, begihhipg' td realise what politically-. inflated exchange is /costing %*: country. Let u B hope that it dp not he as/ disastrous as’/kas the'.ch^o in those European ■ ‘countries which experienced political inflation of their Currencies.’/:. . ill’Ebr ihet first' time/ in: the/history pf ‘ the Auckland l Harbour . Board tlie Election. of 'a/ chairjfihn/for :the ensuing / twelve,, months /was Carried sofit - ai> : the statutory /annual- meeting /of the board. by/iheanS df/’a- sCfcrCt bal-. lot./ As.'tlio. result/of. . thC iwoting,* 1 ' Mr T. ; B Clay 'is /tho ••'new chdirman' of tho-. board. .