“THE COMPLETE FOOTBALLER.”

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14202, 26 October 1906, Page 3

“THE COMPLETE FOOTBALLER.”

MESSRS GALLAHER AND STEAD’S NEW RUGBY TEXT-BOOK. THE LESSONS OF THE “ALL BLACKS.” . [From Otjr • Correspondent.] LONDON, September 14. Last season the “All Blacks” from New Zealand sealed their fame in the annals of, Rugby football by accomplishing an unprecedented tour of triumph through the British Isles. They won thirty-one matches out of thirty-two played, defeating England, Scotland, Ireland —every team except Wales; they scored 830 points to 39; and in ih» one defeat, sustained in the closing stages of a long and strenuous tour, they were beaten by a solitary try. Since their return to New Zealand Messrs D. Gallaher and W. J. Stead, respectively captain and vice-captain of that famous combination, have set themselves to explain how its phenomenal success was gained. In doing bo, they have dealt systematically and comprehensively with the art and science of the Rugby game, and evolved a handbook of practical instruction which will probably rank as the standard work upon.this fascinating branch of sport. “ The . Complete Rugby Footballer,” as it is called, was published yesterday by Messrs Methuen and Co. It is a substantial volume of 318 page's, handsomely bound in blaok and gold, and plentifully illustrated with photographs and diagrams. Let it be understood that this book is not a mere collection of twice-told tales about the “ All Blacks’ ” victories. It is in no sense a diary of the tour. Only the last of the nineteen chapters in the hook is devoted to the great campaign of 1905. The book is mainly an exposition, by two master-players, of the Rugby game in all its details, with special reference to its development under the New Zealand system. And as an ounce of practice is assumed to be worth a ton of precept, the history of the “All Blacks’ ” tour is freely drawn upon to provide practical illustrations of the successful working of that system. In matter, in arrangement, and in general tone it is an admirable work, and the only criticism that suggests itself at the moment’ is that the high price of ’the book—half a guinea—may place it beyond the reach of many players who would be glad to read and “ inwardly digest” its contents. Still, for a standard work, and one so well produced as this, the price cannot be termed excessive.

A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY. This exposition of “ All .Black” methods is an : excellent tribute to the thoroughness, originality, and high degree of skill that have been brought to bear on the development of the game in New Zealand. .The chapters on “ Working the Scrum,” and “Play ■from the Line-out,” and the three demoted, to tactics in general, are of especial interest in this respect, showing ■as they do how carefully the possibilities of well-organised attack and defence have been grasped and worked out in minute detail. But the joint authors cover. the whole field of Rugby science with admirable thoroughness. The history of the game is traced from the - days, when the ancient Romans played with the “ harpastum” r (a ball of cloth stuffed with flock), down through the ages of persecution and suppression, when monarchal decreed that “ footballs be Utterly cryed down,” as too likely to clash with the practice of. arms. In a second chapter-is sketched the origin arid development of ' the Rugby game in New'Zealand, while a. third :s demoted to a. description .of the splendid system of national organisation whereby the standard of football - '.n -the colony has been brought to the pitch of perfection, represented in the triumphant career of - the “All Blacks.” ,“In. New Zealand,” say the authors, “we have what is, in our opinion, one of the most perfect organisations, andho better indication *of its power and scope can.be conveyed l than in the simple statement that it makes its influence felt upon, the little hoys in the public . ■ national schools, whom it watches ; with the , eyes ,of an anxious parent, and has) its system so arranged that stags' by stage the schoolboy,. as he grows in years and skill, is brought higher and higher until at last the New Zealand Rugby Union gives him . his diploma as a master, and perhaps sends him across the sea to wear the ternleaf and uphold the reputation of his homeland.”

In connection with the free admission of ladies to'' both ground and stands in New Zealand, they remark: —“ It is one of these seemingly trifling details that are" really important factors in establishing the success of the football of a country.' It .may not always be realised how powerful is the influence of one’s womenkirid in a game like this. When a man finds his form and the performances of his club matters of criticism, not only among his own club-fellows, but in his _ home circle, among the ladies belonging to it—and among the ladies in whom he may be interested in other home circles --ho obtains a stimulus which in some respects is perhaps more powerful than any other, though he may not admit it,, and may .not even, be aware that such’is the case.”, THE SECRET OF THE SCRUM. One'of the features of the “All Blacks’’’ play, which excited most interest in England was their scrum formation, and the astonishing rapidity with which the • ball came out to the half-back. Messrs Gallaher and Stead devote a special chapter to this, phase of the Rugby game, and explain for the first time the secret , of .the success of the New Zealand pack’s .wedge formation —■“ a secret which,” they say, “baffled all who , played against us, and which every man in the team was sworn to preserve until we had. played our last match.” British experts could see tlie arrangement of the seven men in a 2-3-2 formation, but what they could not see, and what the “ All Blacks” would not tell them, was how and where each of those seven, but particularly the side-row and. the hackrow .men, applied their force toward one common centre. ■ Gwyn- Nicholls himself could not understand it. One night, after the Welsh matches were over and don© with, he told the New Zealanders that Wales had practised the 2-3-2 formation, but could get nothing from it. The tour being bver, he and Winfield, who was with him, were let into the secret by the New Zealanders, and they saw it at once. In the British system the eight, or seven, men push straight ahead,, with the result that there is inevitably a. considerable amount of wasted power. In tlie New Zealand' system only the hookers and the lock men exert their strength in a line direct ahead, the 'others ■ press in from the sides, so that every ounce of their force shall be driven home to th© centre point and concentrated there. “ We believe, say. the authors, “and think all others believe when they understand it, that our scrum formation has no equal for driving power, and that ■ with seven men, equal to eight on the English system, it cannot be improved upon.” ' On the much-debated question of wing-forward ethics, one need say no more than that the New Zealand captain makes out an excellent case for the defence. He grows sarcastic over some of the absurd criticisms launched at his own head during the recent tour

in Britain. He was accused of imparting some wonderful bias to the ball when placing it in the scrum, to make it curl round the feet of his own men. “One must confess,” he remarks, “that in a whole career one has never heard anything so ridiculous ? so palpably absurd.” Again,' the tact . that Gallaher wore shin-guards outside his stockings led to the, delightful suggestion in this country that they were necessary in his case on account of his more doubtful tactics and the trouble that these brought on him ! “We have never known a public,” says the longsuffering wing-forward, “that.thinks so hard and so ingeniously as that which gives its attention to Rugby football in the Old Country. It is never beaten at finding an explanation, but we could wish that it was not. always so adverse to the opponents of ita favourites.” ' ■ , THE leisurely referee. British referees come in. for soma friendly but very pertinent; criticism. It is largely their fault that ;the Rugby game in .the Old Country is often so very unattractive to watch. “ The British referee is a slow man, and ho seems to like a slow game. At all events, he takes very good care that it is slow. If he were to see the games that we play in New Zealand he would wonder whether it was. really Rugby that we play, so fast are they from start to finish, and so few and,far between are the tedious interruptions that are such a prominent feature of ■ the game as played in Britain. T It • is the same with the important games a* with the others. . . . The British referee is undoubtedly far too fond'of the scrum. This partiality is almost incomprehensible. One can only conclude that for reasons of their own these , officials do not like fast games, and that they enjoy watching scrums;” Though the authors refrain from alluding to the incident, it was the slowness of the referee at Cardiff that prevented the “All Blacks” from turning the Welsh defeat into a draw. Had the referee been up with the game, instead ‘of many yards hr the fear, ha would have awarded a; try to New Zea-‘ land, when -Deans crossed' the Welshmen’s line. But the authors, do not make excuses for the defeat of ■ the All Blacks.’’ “It is,” they observe, enough to. say that the ; gam© : we played did not entirely deserve a much greater reward than it ‘ was ■ vouchsafed. The worst fear w© . had came true. We had of late “been thinking too much about this match, and at last the thoughts went on the field with us and paralysed the efforts of,many of our men...... . This would not have happened if there had been no staleness in the team.” GREAT NAMES. . Scattered through the volume are interesting incidental', references - to giants of the game, past and present.' Of F. Roberts, the half-back of the New Zealand team, the .-authors say : “He is one of the best-men we .have ever seen in the position, and is’to -be classed with such .brilliant exponents of the half-back game :as Humphries, of Taranaki, and Braund,' of AucTdaixd, m their palmiest days. On© may look upon him as the ideal of what a half should be.” Jervis, of Auckland, Armit, of Dunedin, Bayly, of Taranaki, and Whiteside, of Auckland, are mentioned as the finest threequarters New Zealand has- bred in the past, and 'with these is bracketed W. J. Wallace, ‘ 1 as ..good as 1 any?pf them, and as fine an. exponent/of-'tije three-quarter game..as? has ever been seen.” Gwyn Nioholls'is ako .referred . to in terms of highest>praise“-In:all-■ those little subtleties-. of the gain© which count for so much m an ■ 'engagement between two sides who are'of the first quality, the great Welshman shows his accomplishment and- his great resource. If it be not considered' presumption and out, l of place" for the Now ’’ Zealanders to. .say,, such la ; thing/ wo ' would remark'that for' this'player, for his thoroughness and. complete^efficiency, we., have the greater ■ possible - admiration.” ; »•* Of the technical 1 • portion • of-' the 1 . Vote ume, it. is enough to. eay that'ithe-'au-thprs hay© given an exposition of the finer points of the Rugby 1 game,; for ' which every player amongst their readers should be' grateful.* Their descriptions, excel in..simplicity, clearness and precision.- It is interesting to not© that some .of the “ All. Black’s’ ” tactics are new even to ’New’ Zealand, having been evolved during the tour. Another . interesting - detail not . generally known is that during the - British" tour, Stead , and Roberts'used a qode ofJMaori words in communicating -instructions during the progress of a gam©, , the advantage . being that their opponents could neither understand nor remember the words when they heard them; ' The . “ All Blacks” were full of little.dodges of this sort. 1 - ‘ Rules "and case-law, ■ and the • record of the New Zealand team in Great Bri-' tain,' are given in an • appendix, and ; there is a good index. “ The Complete / Footballer” deserves well of footballers in general, and should . appeal -with special interest to tho football players and public of New Zealand. ' ■