RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 October 1924, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE ALL BLACKS. Writing of the frame in the northern counties, an , ex-Elnglish International has the following remarks of interest to all who follow the fortunes of our team : Durham. Durham had probably tlieir very worst season for twenty years past. Not that this was m any measure due to lack of or club deterioration. not by any manner of means. She was simply unfortunate in the abnormal number of crocked players throughout the season. Durham folks are mightily optimistic about the future. . Clubs are .springing.up like mushrooms from a hot bed. end one cannot imagine such lightened legislators as Harry Ferens, ArthurHill, “F.H.R.” Aider son, to say nothing of their energetic hon. secretary, George Carter, allowing any prte mising Durham talent to:run to seed. Lancashire. Lancashire at times gave a glimpse of the great Lancashire of the 'Bo’s and ’9o’s, and last year had the well- • merited satisfaction lof beating—and beating soundly—her old-time rival, Yorkshire, for the first time on Yorkshire soil for over forty years. That, in itself, is a matter of solid encournient, and can be taken as an indication of the growing enthusiasm and increasing popularity of the game in the Red Rose County. Yorkshire. Yorkshire failed to fulfil tiie high expectations formed at the commencement of the season. Crooks, and the absence on Internationa] duty of Eddie Myers, accounted in part for this, but if the unvarnished truth be told, the county side of last ' season was probably the poorest for many seasons past. Whilst this was a disappointment, it in no way impairs Yorkshire enthusiasm, for surely, with her 55 clubs and 20 schools, material is at hand for the future. Cumberland. To- Cumberland the heartiest congratulations must be accorded in taking pride of place last season. Her leading of the six North counties was no fluke ; and she won her games, not by her traditional close forward play, but by distinctly good open ba-c-k play. Enthusiasm runs as high Cumberland way as ever, and despite her geographical difficulties nothing' on this earth can or will damp her love of Rugger. Northumberland. Northumberland, the most fancied of the North Counties last season, must be accounted just a little unfortunate, for she had a well-balanced side and gave some delightful exhibitions of good class footer. A little luck or rather, I should say, freedom from bad luck, would have made a vast difference in the final table of results, and one cannot but help feeling a little sympathetic towards this county of genuine sportsmen. Club Football in the North Country. Turning to club football, enthusiasm was not only well maintained, but there was a distinct all-round advance in the class of footer played. While there has never been anything lacking in the real spirit of the game, one must- candidly confess that, with few exceptions, the higher intelligence somehow or other was not- always forthcoming, and if vim and devil was there in abundance, the finer points were often missing. One could not but observe -a manifestly improved intelligence brought to bear in club games last season, and it is not outside the province of thoughtful anticipation to believe that- even a greater improvement will be seen next. In the Northern championship last season, Cheshire played off with Yorkshire in what was practically a semifinal. Yorkshire won the game by 15 points to 10. Referring to the match the London Sportsman says’: “The last of the Yorkshire Rmrbv TTn ion’s county fixtures, that with Cheshire, was played on the Bradford Club’s ground at Lidget Green, and the result had an important bearing r>n the Northern championship. Upon the result of the match depended the ending or otherwise of the season's f'ountv chamnionshin of the North. Yorkshire had tn win outright to tie with Cumberland, and as they succeeded in doing this a deciding game

with Cflmberland will be necessary ami the Cumberland Union will have choice •K ground. in the play off f„ r the JN or, them championship Cumberland dereate:; Yorkshire, and thev also earned the distinction of beiim tlm champion Rugby county in England by defeating Kent by 14 points to 3. If the All Blacks. continue much longer as they have been going (savs a casual critic in a Southern daily) they may be called upon to appear ben !t, Tn ?<r Mal ?° ard answer to a c-haige of inconsistent running ” IhJrt rtT ap? t a r ° Ugh by the skin of then teeth one day, and to pile up a encket score the next does bear the ook of inconsistency, but the matter •Lif ] 7 und ® rs t°°d by those who hwf tn'T W ? at S ) vhat ‘ aild are not uVI; 16 length and weakness of the Dominion representatives. We ran expect more of what has taken place, and \\e must also be prepared at anv tO . ,eari \ that their colours have been lowered. The fact should are st ® ac fa,SL ’ -X ke Pt m mind that they fl,e X 'P. a £ a, nst a vastly different [imposition to that- which the 1905 team had to face. J H. Parker and J. Steel, the two Professional sprinters, now share the honour of having scored three tries fhAn a single match on the tour of the All Blacks. Will any player imnrove unon this number? Quentin Donald, of Wairarana who ■scored both of New Zealand’s ' tries against Giour-eruei;, learned Rugby at 'Veoim>-ton College, and made a name Wself in the North Island side , l‘'l9. When necessary. Quentin plays a. fine three-quarter o-ame Are they saving Brian McCleary for Ireland? says a Southern critic. CONDITIONS DIFFERENT. The original All Blacks landed in England as fit physically as it wa.s v-irS e o! 0r T" t 0 be ’ rnany having van d the mrdmary training methods on board .ship by occasional visits to the tokehold for an hour or two at Tlle collse <Rience was that, before the programme was half hmriied the All Blacks had had more enou "h, and the concluding m-tche.s were m the nature of hardships rather than pleasing bouts at a pa--’time. The 1921 team did not have the ad vantage of the ooal-trimming to help them from running to fat because the ,W T 8 *». »fl «Mp. And it i, Uf as AT 11 ’ . Hesmte what some of tnp English critics have written, these fellows could not- have landed in England m anything near their ton form and this they will discover after thev a. few m „,-e angles t ’ the eritie of the Athletic News, wrote of the 1905 team: It was remarkable to notice the influence which the New Zealanders exerted over their rivals before the s2v e thA IS rb d ' h- fi r al minutes say the Cheshire backs doing someling in passing and re-passing the ball and dashing ahead that was a very colourable imitation of the dexterous and daring methods of the S ‘ i ? T’ as a pit y that thev Started so late, but probably they had not been allowed to put their ideas . for obvious reasons, nil - m Dominion, is nghtly sarcastic on some of the cabled Comments on the matches. He savs inter alia:— ■” ’ p 5' Z :’ 4d P oint s; North Midknds, 3. Report: \ lewed critically, the play lacked merit. The. New Zealanders need to ingraft upon certitude into their present ’ haphazard style.” ri ■P- ’ ’ suggests that comments on the following lines may now be expected : ~ N - Z :> points; . Bangshire, nil. Report: ‘Bangshire attacked with fine persistence. New Zealand’s backs show hesitancy and weakness in passing rushes, and the forwards fumble the ball.” N.Z., 192 points; Buffshire, 4 Report: “Buffshire played in good heart throughout the game, and were often on the point of scoring. New Zealand failed to get the ball from the •Scrum, and there wa.s no cohesion in the three-Quarter line. N.Z., 213 points; Bungshire. nil Report: “Bungshire put in a tireless pack, and were pressing all the time. New Zealand’s weakness seems to be a lack of .scoring backs, and forwards who will follow up.”

THE WING FORWARD. DISCUSSED BY OTAGO UNION. ■At a special meeting called in Dunedll2. recently to consider a proposal to abolish the wing forward, there was a good attendance and some interesting opinions were expressed. Mr. Dickson stated that the meeting had been Suggested by his club about two months ago. The question of a wing forward had been a burning one. To their mind the tactics of a wing forward were of a. spoiling nature. He did not make play, but spoilt it. The raggedness of football throughout New Zealand this year had been noticeable, and the play of the wing forward had no- doubt something to do with the deterioration of. the play of the five-eights. The present wing forward infringements were hard to check, and for that reason the speaker thought he was a pest to the half-back. If the wing forward's opportunities were restricted it would make no difference, -As far as the game went, he thought it would be brightened by more back play. Their suggestion was that the wing forward play at the bac-k of the scrum until the ball was out of the scrum. They did not want the'wing forward eliminated altogether. The speaker concluded by saying that lie thought it would be for the betterment of tile game if such restrictions we-"c placed on the wing forward. He would move : “That the lying forward should remain behind his own scrum until the ball was hooked by the opposing sermnmers.” Mr. H. M'Farlane said the matter had been discussed at a conference two years ago, and it had been decided there that the referees should do their duty and penalise the wing forward for any infringements. They all realised that the wing forward was a menace to the game, but he did not think the meeting had power to stop him playing. A clever wing foiward was worth his weight in gold, provided ho played the game.—(Hear, hear.) If they were not satisfied with the rules, let them forward remits to the head body aud have matters rectified. —(Applause.) Mr. A. M'Donald said lie thought the question of the wing forward was a bit overdone. In his o’pinion the five-eighths got off-side just as much as the wing forward. There was no doubt that a wing forward should be penalised more than he was. He thought they would get into trouble if they were to alter the rules. He would suggest that they get the clubs to play without a wing forward. They had to admit that the wing forward opened up plav at times, but he had to know the game, otherwise he spoilt it.

V ,^ a * l ' Ja ' IJI sy 'd the Piratus Club hud held a meetim- ail ,j ™>e ui sympathy with the Fim-'ertity Club s suggestion. The speaker thought the question was more than a local one, a„d had brought New Zealand into disfavour in other parts of the u.aiti. He was satisfied that Mr luck son s contention that the back p!ay had deteriorated was correct. Mr. 1., O’Shea supported Mr. Fairbairn, and said that in a. number of cases the game developed into a scrimmage brought on by . the wing forward. He personally thought a wing forward was a menace to the game.

Mr. D. Boreham said no one had said a good word for the wing forward, so he would. He said they would have the forwards out of the game if they proceeded as they were now proposing, and.he suggested that the forwards would be able to take their beds on to the field and have a sleep. They did not want to have too many backs. There was nothin" wrong with Rugby, and they did not want to alter the rules. —(Applause.) WHAT THE CRITICS SAY.

LARGE CROWDS TO SEE MATCHES. The All Blacks are a fruitful object of criticism just now\ History is repeating itself in England (says the N.Z. Herald), where the Rugby writers, a s in 1905. are not quite sure what to say about the team. One day they are a. poof side, the next day they are a fair team, and later we. read the flattering assertions that they are “schoolmasters” teaching the “small boys” of Swansea how to play the game.. However, in a few %veeks, after ,the clash with Ireland, at the beginning of next month, w T e should more as to \Vhat they can and cannot do. Of the criticism to date, some of it has been hardly fair. Is not the present team “cursed” rather than blest by the original All Blacks’ unique record? Is not far too much being made of the questions whether the Dominion’s present representatives can equal it? After all, the old All Blacks have set an almost impossible standard of mere match winning. In any case, it is not the wanning or losing that matters so much; it is the way in which matches are won and lost. Of course, the present team has a. host of infatuated admirers. ‘.One country paper, published not so very far from Auckland, under the heading of “Our Wonder Team,” made the astonishing assertion that, “compared with the present All Blacks, the 1905 team were a crude lot.” Such is fame! That there is intense interest in England in the All Blacks’ tour is shown by the large attendances. The attendances at the matches played t-o date compared with those at the same contests ill which the original All Blhcks figured are as follows: — 1924. 1905. Devon 16,000 7,000 Conuvall 14,000 Somerset 12,000 8,000 Gloucester .... 20,000 15,000 Swansea 30,000 15,000 Newport 35,000 12,000 Leicester 30,000 The attendance at the Cornwall and Leicester matches in 1905 are not available. 'i'he comparison, however, shows a remrakable increase .in the “gates” for this year’s tour. To date no fewer than 157,000 spectators have seen the present All Blacks in action.