Success Is Based On Fundamentals

Northern Advocate, 5 July 1947, Page 4

Success Is Based On Fundamentals

RANFURLY SHIELD.

FAILURE to attend adequately to training or to heed the advice of coaches results in many promising players finding themselves in representative football without possessing a full appreciation of the fundamentals of the game. In representative football, it is distressing tcnsee vital passes dropped, half-hearted tackling and rush-stopping, line-kicks frequently missing the line by yards, spasmodic heeling, from rucks, ineffective cover on defence and inadequate backing up on attack.

Players should have mastered such fundamentals before being favoured by representative selection.

It must be remembered that Rugby is a tradition in Southland.

The atm,osphere at Rugby Park on shield day may well be likened to that at Cardiff when the All Blacks meet Wales.

Southlanders flock to the park to encourage their team to victory. They ask for nothing spectacular. They expect fundamentally sound football and that is what they get.

lowing the heave to be applied by all forwards as the hooker essays the rake from the centre line; tactics in scrums on own ' goal-line and on opposing goal-line; the screwing of the scrum and last, but by no means least, the maintaining of perfect balance within the scrum.

The Southland team plays after the fashion of the Springboks. Theirs is the hard, rugged type of footballno risks, no let-up, every post a win ning post. They play as a team, well coached, well trained and the result —a proud Ranfurly Shield record. Therein is the reason why the Northland selector, coach and players must concentrate on fundamentals. First and foremost in the planning of our shield campaign must be the realisation that the true strength of a team lies in the forwards. A WISE STEP The appointment of Mr Innes Finlayson, a famous All Black forward, as coach therefore was a wise initial move.

Good forward play is the foundation of the Rugby game. A pack able to beat its opponents in the close and open play will always shade a side with superior backs, provided the pack is properly led. The modern forward is a distinctive personality. He must be fast, daring, dogged, determined to a degree and with that spirit of devilry or call it what you will. Behind a powerful pack, the backs are in the lee of a veritable stone wall, sheltered from the attack of the opposing forwards. The halfback is secure, absolved from smothering demoralisation and not crippled and crumbled by close-in tactics or tenacious tackling by the opposition. Reverse the position and what is found —a reed shaken in the wind. Danger and disaster is sure to follow.

A postscript is often significant—this one certainly is. It is the duty of every forward to give his hooker every possible ounce of weight. Failure to do so is fatal. Other important features are cooperation between winger and forwards in line-outs with variation of tactics on attack and defence and all packmen working in complete harmony in these formations; short passing and dribbling formations and tactics against drop-outs from the 25 and kicks from half-way. COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING Too much stress cannot be placed on the need for complete understanding in rucks. It is a very true Rugby adage that the easiest try is that which follows a rush by the forwards, a quick heel from the ensuing ruck and a snappy movement by the backs to carry the ball over before the defences have had a chance to consolidate. Forwards must be taught that, wherever they land in a ruck they must play the position in which they find themselves. The man in the front of the ruck might be, by rights, a backrow forward. He must then act as the hooker. The front-row forwards may be on the side of the ruck, so therefore they must play the role of the siderow man. CONTROL OF BALL ON GROUND The control of the ball on the ground is another vital part of forward play. An excellent way to practice this is to dribble the ball along the touchline, not allowing it to deviate more than five yards each way.

The creation of Northland’s pack must be given considered and careful thought. In the moulding of that pack there must be borne in mind all the fundamentals which will mean so much against Southland. CORRECT TRAINING VITAL The coach must have the forwards training correctly. They must practice ,Ihe waljk and sudden short burst. That develops that thrust from a lineout, that sharp move that pierces the defence. Lumbering forwards are easy prey for an alert defence. There are many points in scrumming to be practised over and over again till they become routine. Such fundamentals as these must be drilled into the players: Cooperation between the pack and the half, al-

The correct formation is to have one man two yards in front with the ball with the others behind ready to take over if the front man overruns or loses the ball in some other way. Immediately a forward overruns, he must double back behind his comrades and so keep the formation.

The screwing of the scrum can be used as a means of breaking away on defence when the screw should be towards the side-line, or as a surprise method of attack.

Locks should never strive to screw a scrum away from the course it is taking. It is better for the eight men to keep together and move the one way in a body. This ensures safety even when the break is to be made to the open side. Northland’s forwards must also be taught the value of the short-passing game. They should move through in a tight line and simply hand the ball from one to the other making sure that the lowering of one man does not spell finis to the movement. The success of these tactics depends on the eight forwards maintaining formation and keeping up a rapid interchange of possession. TWO SALIENT POINTS Backing up on attack and cover defence are two salient points of Rugby football. The first is akin to complete understanding between backs and forwards on attack. When the ball is heeled from any forward formation, and the half despatches the rearguard, the back row and side row forward on the open side must race across field to cover the attack. That prevents an interceptor finding himself in an open paddock and is a sure safeguard in the event of a dropped pass. The remaining forwards should move straight up the centre of the field and so be in position to handle the ball when the attacking movement is swung infield, either by in-passing or by a centring kick or even by a short kick from a five-eighth or the centre. When the opposing forwards win the ball and their backs go into action, all forwards should move diagonally across the field. Some coaches stipulate that the last man up from the scrum make a bee-line for the corner flag and it is a fact that he brings off many a tackle that saves his side a try. Therein the secret of cover defence. In the previous'paragraph is depicted backing up on attack.

The All Blacks in Australia showed the value of these phases of play. Northland must master them before August. Northland’s forward leader must be a man who can set an example to his men. He must encourage them, not only with expert generalship but in the mariner in which he lo Q ds them. SOLIDITY IN BACKS In choosing his shield backs, the selector must, above all things, ensure solidity, both on attack and defence.

He is fortunate in that Northland has a wealth of class players to fit together as a rearguard. Most of the leading contenders have had sufficient experience to be well versed in the fundamentals of back playLet us hope that they can be moulded into a combination capable of startlirig southernmost fans and willing always to combine with their forwards in bringing into play a wide repertoire oLconcerted attacking manoeuvres. Fundamentals which must not be forgotten are: Each member must keep his opposite number in his own back-yard. In other words, he must always draw his man before unloading. When a gap appears, he must shoot through it. Straight running by the inside men and a variation of play. This ensures them plenty of room in which to work. Backs should not start running till the ball is in the hands of the halfback. A back should not run right up’ to his man before passing. All Black centre Goddard has a bad habit of doing this and the wingers suffer accordingly. Frequent running by the halt with the ball is fatal. A long pass to a first five-eighth standing deep is the ideal with the 3—4—l scrum. The first five-eighth should not run far with the ball. If his vis-a-vis is running towards him then he has drawn him. The Northlanders must not forget that possession is one of the first principles. At the same time, their style of play must be adapted to the prevailing conditions. Any weakness in the Southland setup must be quickly conceived and exploited. This stresses the necessity of a resourceful captain.