NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL LESSONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 112, 15 May 1906, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL LESSONS.

" QUICKLY FORGOTTEN."

LONDON, March 30.

Mr H. Alexander, tho well - known authority on football, has a good deal to say to-day about English Eugby football. He takes a distinctly pessimistic view, as may be judged from the heading he has chosen for his article—viz,: " ShortLived Enthusiasm." "'All Blacks' Lessons Quickly Forgotten," " British Rugbyites Baok in the Old Groove."

He says: — " Ndw that the Rugby season is nearly over, we may take a general view of the progress of the game through the past six months, and see to what extent the visit of tho New Zealanders has left its mark. It must frankly be admitted that, whereas at the height of their career, the flattery was sincere enough to produce a certain amount of imitation, all four countries have, however, now discarded the innovations and returned to the old style. More than that, there has been a very distinct improvement in the play of at least England and Ireland, since they again adopted the game with which they are familiar, and it cannot be said that the display of Wales at Richmond was such as to inspire one with, any groat confidence in their prowess under the new system. " The whole case seems to me to have been made to centre in a point which was wrongly aqqordpd the chief place, The discussion as to the rival merits of the New Zealand and English formations gradually drifted into one of the advisability of playing seyoi; or eight forwards, and little or no heed was paid to the j)lacing of the rest of the field. Experience in this, as in many other things, has shown us that a half-imitation, whose offspring is a feeble hybrid, can avail nothing. No team that I know of, certainly no first-class team, has adopted a root-and-branch policy and gono in for tho New Zcalanders' game in its entirety; yet so dependent is their machinery as a whole on its component parts that this half-imifcatitou was not likely to be more satisfactory than would be the experiment of fitting tho engines of a motor car in a railway locomotive. We may set aside the arrangement of seven forwards and eight backs, for purely defensive purposes, as a measure only renortcd to in oasos of extreme need, for no team would be worth its salt which always took the field in a defensive mood.

" The Now Zcalanders found that by increasing tho number of backa and placing them intelligently they could vary their attack more readily, and were often enabled to leave their opponeuts completely in the dark aa to the side from which danger was to be expected, They found that their attacking strength, and consequently their try-getting and matchwinning strength, lay with their backs, and accordingly developed a game which was to give them increased opportunities. But in order to put tho reduced number of forwards on more equal terms with their opponents they realiaed that that department of tho game must also unlergo alterations, or at anyrate modifications. Their forwards were now to be .1 heeling-maohino, quite subservient to the backs, and in order to attain their object more than ordinary skill in securing and heeling the ball was necessary. Hence came the hookers, tho lock, and tho appointed places in the scrum, and, with these, increased efficiency in these several departments.

"To make the most of tho eight backs and to avoid crowding, [ the two fiveeighths ;and three throe-quarters came into being1, and this arrangement of the outsides, with the one half and wing forwavd, ia tho strength of the formation, of which the seven forwards is only a corollary. It will be seen from this that to play an extra back in a more or less indefinite position, and to leave tho seven forwards to muddle along as best they may, is a form of imitation which is but ill-calculated to strengthen tho attack of a team. Nuvertheli'ss, i\\U is what was done in every wiho by the homo dubs, oven when thny professed to be ma-kin"-the alterations with a viow to improve attack and not defence only.

" The net result of the whole experi-

ment has been a complete and unqualified return to the old order of things, which is tho result best calculated to please most ©f both past and present llugby enthusiasts. It may be mere conservatism, but expressions of approval at tho good old forward game played between Wales and Ireland were heard on every hand, and whatever the attractions a gamo confined to the backs may have for the uninitiated, there will always be a large —I hope a predominant —section which will appreciate good forward play and a good forward game. Such a game is by no means void of interesting play among tho backs, but entails searching for opportunities on thoir part, instead of having every chance put in their hands by the forwards."

In conclusion, Mr Alexander remarks : " What is abundantly evident is that if the outsides are to have it all their own way, and the forwards to bo quite subsidiary to them, tho thing must be done in no half-hearted manner, and something much more like the New Zealandcrs' game in its completeness must be learnt and perfected by the team which hopes to profit by this stylo of