RUGBY FOOTBALL

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1938, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SPRINGBOK TACTICS Of special interest are observations made by Mr J. T. Burrows during his close study of what happened in matches played by the Springboks in New Zealand last season. Mr Burrows was manager of the New Zealand team, as well as being a New Zealand selector, and his opinions about how the Springboks did things, particularly as regards scrummage tactics, are set out in a letter written by him to N. A. Mitchell, the wellknown ex-Southland captain who was one of New Zealand’s brightest hopes fox 1 the Tests last yea l- , but who was able to give but little service owing to injuries. “In the first place,” writes Mr Burrows (whose letter is published in the “Southland Times”), “you will know Vhat oui- idea as to the direction of the weight in the front row of the 3-4-1 scrum has always been on the two outside hookers. The middle hooker did not get any weight at all, so that he could be free to swing if the occasion required it. I think, now that is where we have been wrong The Springboks direct all their weight on the middle hooker, and as far as possible make a wedge. The three hookers pack very low with feet back, the middle man having his arms on top of the others, while the outside men pack closely undei- his arm-pits, “Lotz’s method of hooking the hall was simply to advance his right foot (when the bail was put in from the left side) and the man on his left would advance his left foot after the ball had passed, and thus close up the channel and trap the ball. Then when the ball was hooked it would travel back through the channel between the first and second channels.

“As we know that ball frequently shot back between the side hooker’s legs and almost straight into Craven’s hands. According to Boy Louw, however, the real path of the ball was down the scrum between the first lock’s legs. “That brings us to the position of the locks. Their feet should also be back and set aside almost, exactly as the stance of the lock of our old 2-3-2 scrum. The legs of the lock nearer the side from which the ball is thrown are wider apart than those of the other lock. The locks clasp each other

with their inside arms, and they direct all their weight on the middle hooker. The side row men pack down on an angle inwards, but here again both feet tend to be well back.