Rugby Notes

Hutt News, Volume 18, Issue 3, 21 June 1944, Page 5

Rugby Notes

MAR IST <>. HUTT ;.!. ; Try unconverted and a penalty [ goal by S tana way for Marist; penalty • goal for Hutt by L. Bligh. Marist won the toss and elected to play against a strong northerly, i but dominating the line-outs and set scrums, held the Hutt to :: all at the change over. With the "advantage of the wind in the second spell it looked like Marist rattling on a big score, but the Hutt forwards rose to Che occasion, backed up by good defence by Arnold and Brown, and Marist could not cross the Hutt line, a penalty by Stanaway .being the only score. Frankly, the form of the Hutt team has been disappointing, and the falling away in their play, in their last three matches must be causing the selectors and coach a good deal of food for thought, particularly the poor defence of one or two of the backs. On Saturday to, the forwards m the first spell were lifeless, and were absolutely outclassed in the lineouts, repeatedly knocking the ball back and allowing the big Marist forwards to break through on the hall". This feature of their play Was I further accentuated by the failure of ; one .or two of the backs to go down on the ball. It is a cardinal principe of rugby that before your backs can become effective as an attacking force your forwards must win, and failure to realise this, has been one of the chief causes leading to the team's defeats. If the forwards dominate from a line-out, the opposing Jbacks must come round to cover, then if th-j ball is heeled from the ensuing ruck it only requires good handling to gain an overlap for your wingers. So send your forwards in all the time, and the opportunities will come auto matically for the backs.

Reverting to Saturday's game, one of the very bad features of Hutt's Diay was their failure to take full t advantage of the wind. lyoni a i'; 3 drop out the ball was not kicked five yards, whereas a long drop out would have forced play deep into their opponents' half. Then again, on two occasions a free kick, taken in Hutt's -i) was lined, with Marist winning the line outs. Had these kicks been made deep down the centre, with the wing three-quarters hugging the touch line, Hutt would have had fifteen men playing on one man, and forcing him to kick lot touch from the centre of the field into a particularly high wind. Perrett was one player who realised ths value of keeping the ball high in the centre of the field .when playing with the advantage of the wind. Mini, who is the outstanding lineout forward in the side, had to leave the field early in the game, and the team were unfortunate in losing his services so early in the game. Halgh was one of the outstanding forwards in the second spell, good following up being one of the most noticeable features of his play.