RUGBY IN JAPAN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 80, 16 March 1936, Page 6

RUGBY IN JAPAN

N.Z. University Team’s Tour MEMBERS ARRIVE BACK 18, Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 16. Seventeen oi New Zealand University Rugby players with their manager, Mr P. Martin Smith, and Mr A. McPhail, Canterbury, who travelled with the team, arrived by the Makura from Sydney this morning. Fifty or more pyjama-clad students from the Weir Hostel welcomed the arrivals in student fashion. Interviewed, Mr Martin Smith spoke enthusiastically of the type of football played in Japan and also the hospitality showered upon them. “They play a very good type of football,” he said, “and they are exceedingly well trained and disciplined. Their team work is excellent, but they lack individual initiative somewhat. They play like a machine. They were very keen to learn, as in other spheres, and the result was that towards the end of the tour it was noticeable that improved form was being displayed by them.” Mr Martin Smith said that the Japanese played delightful football in the final test. They played a 3—2—2 scrum, the extra man being used sometimes as a rover and sometimes as an extra, tnreequarter, called seveneighth, and played usually half-way between the three-quarters and fullback. The New Zealanders had to fall back on the 2 —3—2 formation. He personally was satisfied that the 3 —4—l and 3—2 —2 formations were no good. The difficulty experienced by the NewZealand forwards in the scrum was due largely to the fact that their oppopents being small and nuggety packed lower, and the New Zealanders’ weight was rendered ineffective.

A feature of the Japanese game was their passing, which was done at a great pace. They pass and pass until a man is free and then he goes through. There was very little real effort to beat a man, although in the final test they were coming through quite a bit. The New Zealand team took a while to settle down. The grounds had no turf and a particularly cold winter had been experienced. GRACIOUS, KINDLY HOSTS Deep Friendships Formed A letter from the manager of New Zealand University Rugby team says that the team reached Hong Kong on their return from Japan on February 21 and expressed satisfaction at the result of the tour, which had been an extensive one both from the football and social sides. Japanese people had entertained them most hospitably. The time had been fully engaged. Considerable difficulty was experienced at times in fielding a thoroughly fit team owing to a good deal of sickness and a large number of injuries. Against Hong Kong they were forced to play seven forwards aud eight backs, as no fewer than five forwards were unavailable. However, all the injured would be fit and well in a few days and there were now no cases of sickness in the team.

The tourists feel that a great deal of good had been done by the visit, tho students of the two countries getting to know one another and understand something of the problems of the two countries. In its four weeks’ stay in Japan the team saw much of interest and all the members were delighted with their experiences. One member, Hudson, from Canterbury College, stayed behind to pursue his studies in structural engineering with special reference to earthquake-resisting con struction.

At a farewell dinner on the eve of the team’s departure eulogistic references were made by Japanese officials to the football played by the New Zealanders and especially to the way they had been thorough gentlemen on all occasions. The members of the team have formed many deep friendships with Japanese with whom they came in contact and found that the Japanese were gracious, hospitable and kindly hosts. All were keenly looking forward to getting back to their homes in New Zealand.