RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 30 May 1925, Page 12

RUGBY

Taranaki players will learn with interest that Dick Wylie, erstwhile of Hawera, is doing remarkably well in Hawke’s Bay. Writing of the selection of the Bay representative team the Herald says: “There should nob be much difficulty about the forwards. For the front row Wylie or Swain, presumably the former. will partner Irvine, while behind them, with Gemniell, C. Brownlie, M. Brownlie, Ormond. Miller, Campbell and Mahoney to choose from, there are plenty of good men available.”

Hastings were strengthened by inclusion of the two Brownlies, Maurice »making Ms firyt appearance since the All Black 'tour (.says a Napier daily ot a • match last week). He received a rousing reception on passing the stand to the dressing shed. Although vel “nailed,” he played a wonderful game, hut in . the end condition heat- him. His play was always heady, and when hergot going .was solid as a rock, tie was easily the best forward on the wrotmd, being a tower of strength to both the van and rearguard. Cyril made one o r two spectacular efforts, hut did not show out as much as usual With this pair in action, fastings will take a power of beating.

Commending the play jn Wellington this year, the Evening Rost says “The pace is simply immense —too fast, one would think to last—and it is no wonder the number of injuries tends to increase. When players are travelling all the time at a great- rate, with no let-up to speak of, collisions and encounters are more hazardous than under the old Rugby, where the line was always an avenue to a respite, a means of getting a spe|] and a welcome breather. The •touch,-#ne- iis Biardly used at all now, except in defence from a position inside the defending twentyfive. One wonders how teams manage to play out two strenuous spells nowadays, but they do, and in the case of matches like the ’V arsity-Orientaj and Re tone-Athletic last week, the last quarter was faster than the first.

’ .‘..“Touch line,” in the ‘Wellington Free -Lance, writes:—“As the years go bV, judging by the attitude ot the New Zealand Rugby Union, it is becoming more difficult to select teams representative 1 of the Dominion It took seven gentlemen to put 29 players on paper to tour to England. That was bad enough in all conscience, but the decision to appoint five selectors. for this year’s teams seems to be right over the odds. They are E. McKenzie (Wairarapa), N. McKenzie (Hawke s • Bav). A. Guy (TaranaKi), J. Days (Canterbury) , and ' A. E Ceddes (Southland). AY litjh the knowledge Gained during the trial matches last year the New Zealand Rugby Union had ’a glorious opportunity or giting the sole selector a trial. E. McKenzie would have made an ideal man for the job, and the expenses bill would not have been such a serious one as with five men doing the duty, good fellows though they might be.”

According to the, Herald, Mills, 1924 All Black, of Napier, is playing as well as ever. The writer says: jMill was not long in showing that he is as brilliant as of vore. His outsides made very poor use'of the opportunities he crave them in the early stages, so he undertook solo efforts with no inconsiderable success, and at times electrified the crowd. Two jerseys went west in the course of these manoeuvres, and the final reward was a painful crack beneath the eye, though he pluckilj continued as fullback after first-aid had been tendered.

Z'Sl complete record of the doings 0L New.. Zealand representative Rugby teams against all overseas eombinatidnsHfas been compiled by Mr. I h)ifihns v , of: Wellington, and the striking poiilt disclosed by this is that o n 01113 twelve occasions New Zealand teams have left the field defeated. Altogether 183 games have been played by -New Zealand" representative^teams against overseas teams, and of these 166 hare bggiiT won and four drawn. In the matter -- of points New Zealand has scored- &554, while the total against is 794 iOther interesting particulars contained in the record relate to the way in- which the points were obtained. These are set out as follow—Tries, foi 112-5, against 161; goals (conversions), for 474,- against 66; penalty goals, for 22, 'against 13; goals from marks, for 9 against 5. The small number or goals from marks is no doubt due to of the rule which provides that the plaver taking a mark must be the kicker. Matches played by New Zealand teams against provincial teams in New Zealand are not mcliKlecl.

Alf West, the last surviving member of the N.Z.E.F team in present-day big football, is still going strong (says a southern exchange). He showed great form at the. commencement of the season in Taranaki.

A schoolboy succeeded in persuading his father to take him to an important football match. Father, knowing nothing of Rugby, complied unwillingly. The game was a very strenuous one, and was twice stopped while the temporarily injured were attended to bv the gentleman with the little black bottle. At length the youngster turned in perplexity to his father ana said “I say, who’s winning, dad? Father hated to show his ignorance, but he had not the slightest idea of the state of the game. “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “at present,, the fellows in the green shirts appear to lie leading by two points to nil.”

I* Congratulations to McNab, Kirk* Durino- a match recently in Auck- jpatriek, Blake and Corkill on their land,, a small boy asked his father what selection as All Blacks (says the the s?irst Aid men were. The father Hawke’s Bay Herald. Corkill s foim replied that thev were a sort of doctor this season is generally unknown to help the men'who got hurt. During locally, but the other three, all of a moment of tense silence a little latter, w hom hail from Hastings, have justithe child asked: “Do the ’dockors’ fied their inclusion by this year’s form, carrv teaspoons with them?” “Why?” In fact, the three, of them had .bad “To’give the football men their medsin l uc k in missing the boat on the Eng~ when thev are hurt.” The presence or li s h trip, so everybody’s pleased that these ambulance men on the ground— they are getting away this time The so numerous and so obviously ready —j absence of McNab and Blake will mean reminds, me of the youth in England a big loss to Celtic, and the Hastings who asked a shopman fo r “A penny dub can ill-afford to Jose their popucigar and a penny headache powder.” lar skipper.

DECISIONS RE RULES. ?

QUESTIONS submitted

VARIOUS AMENDMENTS. A summary of the decisions given by the New Zealand Referees’ Association at their annual meeting is given below and will, be read with interest by referees .and players. They are as follow: , , ~ . ,v„ The rule re putting the ball in tne scrum was amended to: “The side not committing the- breach must put the ball in the serum immediately when so ordered by the referee.” In replv to the Referees’ Association the ’following amendments were made: “In the case of a pass forward being taken by a player offside the correct, decision is a free kick. . _ • Referring to, a tackle, an addition is made that" “pass or play the ball means being able to pass the ball oi kick it himself. Otherwise the player must drop the hall and it must be played with the foot. “An offside player cannot be placed in a position where he can legally play the ball by any action of his own side or of his opponents so long as he remains within ten yards of an opponent waiting to receive the ball, even after that opponent has played the ball. Another decision, on the question or a tackle, received from the, English Union, is that the words be added: “But he must do so at once; if there is any pause between, the referee must penalise him for being on the ground and not- getting up immediately.” “In the case of a player waiting to received the ball, and, failing to take it, goes for it on the bounce, hut is obstructed by the player -who kicked it, a free kick is the only penalty, at the spot where the obstruction took place. If a player converts a free kick ten yards from his opponents’ goal, and the boa I is disallowed because one of Ms side was in front of the ball, a scinmmage must be taken, not a force down and kick out. . If a player having a free kick just on his own line goes back to kick, and the hall does not cross the line, but goes into touch in goal, a. fresh kick should be awarded. In regard to a throw-in from touch it lias been deckled that a back can rush in between the forwards standing five yards from touch and take the ball, or between the forwards standing on the line-out. If a ball is thrown in at an incorrect spot, and the referee, not noticing the line umpire’s flag up, allows play to continue’till a mark is taken, he must allow the mark and not send play back to the correct spot where the ball went out;but if an infringement takes place instead of a, mark, and the referee notices the flag up before giving a. ruling, he is correct in returning play to the correct spot. A player cannot be offside on his own in-goal, therefore a player in front of another off whom the ball rebounds may touch down. A scrummage must be given when a player with one foot in “in-goal” and the other in the field of play takes the ball on the full or off bounce and touches down, or picks up and touches down.

An interesting point concerns the question of a playe r coming on to the field during play. The executive had given an answer to, a question in reference to a player coming on to the field, and while near his opponent’s goal line, runs across, takes the ball and touehes down. They

said that a player taking Ms position on the field must do so from an outside position, and that the decision should be a force down. But the Association reversed this and gave it a try, urging that a man can come on to the fielu of play from any position. The" decision does not seem sound and equitable. If a player accidentally knocks the ball on but immediately recovers it before it reaches the ground, the game should he allowed to proceed. A player waiting with one foot in field of play and one foot in in-goal takes the ball and touches down the decision should be, on an appeal, a scrum. It was a penalty for cairymg * a player placing the ball for a. mark notices that the opposing side are rushing and will get to the ball before the kicker and therefore takes the ball and hands it to the kicker a free kick must be given for playing the ball on the ground. If a similar incident occurs from a shot at goal, the kick is forfeited. A decision by the Auckland Referees Association in regard to unintentional offside was carried, that in such a case a. scrum should be formed wheie such a breach occurs. . , , A suggestion was agreed to that newspaper proprietors forward to the Referees’ Association in their district all questions relative to the laws of the game, then they may be_ asked regaiclincr interpretations of rules before, publishing their answers. Any decisions made °bv The executive will he circulated to* affiliated instituitons as soon as they are made.