THE FIRST DUMMY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 August 1929, Page 12

THE FIRST DUMMY.

TWO—THREE—TWO SCRUM. INTRODIJiCTION RE C ALLED. “Paddy Keogh was the first New Zealand player to ‘sell the dummy,’ ” was a statement made by Mr George Cache in a recent interview with a representative of the Wellington “Free Lance.” To present-day enthusiasts it may be necessary to explain that Keogh iwas an Otago representative half-back in the eighties, and a member -of the New Zealand native team that made a tour abroad in 188889.

Mr Fache, as viee-captain of the Otago Boys’ High .School team in the days when it played senior, recalls Keogh as a junior player. When the English team -came out in 1888, “Faddy”. had developed into a wonderful half-back. Owing to an injured arm he had to stand on the line during the Englishmen’s first match in Dunedin, -but while there -ho used liis assimilative brain to absorb some of the manoeuvres which the Englishmen introduced into their play. These included the dummy -pass, until then unknown in this country. To such purpose did Keogh study the innovation that he Avon -the next match for Otago by “selling the dummy.”

Another historic occasion on Avhicli Mr Fache Avas present iwas the first employment of the fixed 2-3-2 scrummage in inter-provincial football. It occurred iii a match betAveen Wellington and Canterbury in 1892. During the earlier part of the season, Poneke, under the coaching of that brilliant player and student of the game, Tom -Ellison, had -played the fixed 2-3-2 position unknown to the rest of the clubs, and had -taken the lead in the competition. When Canterbury came south Avith Auckland’s scalp hanging in its belt by a margin of 20 points, Tom took the representative players of the other Wellington teams into his confidence. The reA r elation Avas made one evening in uMeek’s old flour mill, Avhich Avas then the Poneke Club’s gymnasium. It Avas situated at the back of Avhere the Opera House u-oav stands. -Besides the representative side, Mr Fache Avas the only outsider to whom entrance Avas permitted. The fixed system justified itself and Wellington went against the betting to AA'in toy a shade. The lock of the Avinning scrummage Avas Angus Stuart, av.lio came out Avith Stoddart’s team and -stayed in this ’country. The takings Avere considered marvellous at that time —£100 and a feAV shillings, one of which Mr Fache carries on his Avatch-chain to-day.

Mr Fache is a veteran referee Avho ruled big fixtures. For 10 years -before the departure of the 1905 All -Blacks, -lie iwas a New Zealand selector. Later he took an important place not only in Wellington Rugby Union affairs, but also in the international arena. He Avas one of the three Georges—George 1. (George Dixon), George 11. (George Mason), and George 111. (George Fache) —aaßo represented the Dominion at the 1913 Rugby conference -betAveen Ncav Zealand, N ew South Wales, and Queensland, in SA^dneA'.

NOTES AND NEWS. SPRINGBOK’S NEXT TOUR The Rugby team Avhicli the South Africans are to send to Great Britain in 1931-32 Avill be the third side of Springboks to be entertained (says the “Athletic Nows”). In 1900-07 Paul Roos and his men lost only tAvo games, and dreAv a third, in a programme of twenty- eight, Avhile in 1912-13 W. A. Willard’s team played -tAvcnty-seven games and Avon tAventy-four of -them. Of the nine internationals Avhich the South Africans played during those two tours only one was lost, and that AA-as the first they undertook—namely, against Scotland in NoA r ember, 1906. The match Avith England Avas drawn that year. ENGLISH. PROFITS. The English Rugby Union made a profit of £27,170 on last season’s matches. The international at TAvickenham betAveen England and Wales returned a profit of £12,361, and the Englaud-Treland match, ,on the same ground, yielded a profit -of £ll,719. Loans to clubs to enable them to purchase grounds iioav amount to £43,312, of .which £15,920 Avas advanced last year. Only nominal interest, is charged on the loans.

UNION WINS WOODEN (SPOON. “Union is strength,” says an old axiom. This does not hold good as far as Dunedin’s senior Rugby competition is concerned. The old-established Union -Club’s team, AA r hieh during the tAvo previous seasons shoAved signs of distinct improvement in play, has gone through -the current year’s pregramme without the solace of a single Avin. A draw Avith the next. AV-orst (Zingari) Avas its best performance, and it can add another Avooden spoon to -those similar trophies Avkieh already adorn the Avails of the club’s pnA’iliou,

BROWNLIE BROTHERS. Visitors to Napier a few days ago AA’ere Monde and Cyril UroAvulie, of All Black fame, says the “Daily Telegraph.” The -big fellows are reticent about their future intention, and, as n result, common to sportsmen avlio prefer to In* silent when everyone is expecting- them to talk, are beingguessed about by sporting- Avritcrs all over the country. It seems a generally accepted fact that Cyril BrOAvnlie -has retired for good, but the report -that his more famous brother will come back to play against the Britishers next year is sf il] having wide currenev.

A vioan-living sportsman, still in the prime of athletic life, Morrie Brownlie is just the man who could come back in that way, but whether he will do so it is safe to say .that only he —and perhaps not even lie-—knows. At present his only sporting activity seems to be riding to the .hunts in \Vairoa, but lie is not totally divorced from Rugby, as he recently gave the Wairoa Savages a talk on experiences in Africa with the All Blacks.