TOO MUCH KICKING

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 January 1931, Page 10

TOO MUCH KICKING

ENGLISH RUGBY FAULT.

Colonel Philip Trevor notes t-ha-t too many stand-off ? half-backs and centre three-quarters in British Rugby make kicking the ball the rule and passing it the exception. Here is his view, of the practice: The kicking practice is surely assenting itself among modern Rugger with almost disdainful insolence. Even as a technical manouvre it is hard to defend. Presume your kicker to he able to land the ball with his foot Avith the precision that a Wilfred Rhodes lands a cricket ball Avith his hand. Even with all that preliminary accuracy, can you reasonably hope that your kicker, or one of his comrades, will be on the psychological spot at the psychological moment to gather it on the bounce? To ask that question is to answer it. Not once in 50 times is that manouvre repaid with practical success, and every time it fails the 14 comrades of the man \A'ho has gambled away his inheritance —for it amounts to that —are prop ortionately discouraged.