SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL TEAM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 305, 14 November 1906, Page 1

SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL TEAM.

(By. Hamish Stuart in the London "Daily Chroaicle.") Even If tho South Africans prove as formidable foes ■and be as successful as tho Now Zealanders were, they, cannot create the same sensation." for the New; Ztoalandera literally took tho Rugby world by surprise. It is true that some of us | knew enough o f their strength, and 1 had mado a sufficiently close study of their methods to write of a Rugby revival and a revolution in Rugby methods as possible, if not probable, results of ■tiheir tour. Nevertheless Sfaeir I'form" sigs a re* velation even for the cognoscenti, wihile tht-ir methods were such a judicious blend of the best features of the new and the old game that the anticipated revolution seemed likely to -become- art accomplished fact. They certainly imbued us with such respect for Colonial Rugger that a second surprise is out 01 the question. Hence, even if the South Africans pcove equally strong at all points and be equally successful, tho fact will simply bo accepted as another proof that 1 -in sport, as in war, Great Britain is j no longer an island but an empire* In dealing with-tho New .•Zealaaders before their ■advent one was compelled to point -out that 'their, methods differed from ours and might, therefore, revolutionise our methods. Special emphasis w a s laid on' their scrum' formation, and, it was predicted that any change — 1 tentative or permanent — which 'tho tour might produce. would probably be in tha direction of modifying or completely altering our methods in the tight. This prediction was ful- j filled, though before tho season en-ded we liaid wise»ly "returned to our muttons" (such of us, that is ' to say, who had' departed there- 1 from), tho chief cause of the re- I turn to the .old game being tho discovered that to play the Now ' Zealand gamo well and in its cn-th-p-ty sides must be blo.ssed with exceptional speed and st amina — Die, I iu fact, much butter trained than | most of our sides are, or rather an? in a position to become. In tho case of vh-o South Africans thero will be no "method problem"; they may effect another revival, hut they will causu no revolution, for their methods are our methods. In othor words, they play the 1 Welsh, or, rather, the modern -game, which 19 a blend of the original Welsh ga'me and the best features : of tho other national games so far as these were oistinctive. Happily, also, wo shall not bo called upon, to discuss certain other, and far, from agreeable, topics to which fcho play of the New Zoalanders flavo rise. Our old enemy, the wuip forward, has no place in South; Africa, and, 'generally speaking. their play is so irauch above reproach that wo will bo saved all rofi-ronce to foul or unfair play. • Personally I rejoice at tho prospect, for there, is no subject so re pug»ant, yet none on which I am prepared to be more outspoken or downright in my zeal for the best interests of the game, than that of -unfair play in all. or any. of its forms. In this point, althoujrh insistence is ttcnerally left to the old

school, there can, or at least' oughti to bo, only one school, unless the game is to dc-Renerate into a mere exercise, which imay induce the healthy !body, hut does not make for the healthy mind. If C»pe writers have spoken in high terms of praise of " 'the side, awd have prepared us for some-j thing quite put of the ordinary,; their estimates have been so sincere, and the weak spots in the play of the toani have Ijeen so ! j frankly admitted, that there is not I apparent reason for .believing that I the merits of the side have beenexaggerated. On paper and on performance, individual and collective, the strength _of the side seems to lie in forward all-round work, and at three-quarters so far as attack is concerned, while the hill-back but' irregular Jouliert beems to be a sort of Forest at his best. The forwards are indeed a formidable lot. for there arc five men of over 14sU five of 13st. or over, while the' lighter men are clever. Moreover, so many of the men are giants that a pack of six-foot 1 ots can be placed on the field. If so, they will have a wonderful ad- ! vantage "at the lines out" if their big men have any cleverness, -fcs of course they have. gfTheo- If well trained and speedy, as they are, their weight and strength are bound to tell so that our ordinary packs are certain of a 'pretty "hot time," for physical I power tells in tho long run, and ! when it is conjoined with science is simply morn invincible. The forwards are said to possess , more initiative than Welsh packs, This I can hardly, credit, though possibly this statement is "based lon a sti>dj of the Welah packs of the past. Modern Welsh packs are ju&t tho opposite of machines.. They are all initiative and in point ,of opportunism are second to none. lln any case, we may rest assured that the South Africans will bo as good as our best forwgrds. At three-quarters they have great pace and cleverness, while the conar jbination is oxcellent. Like the j Welsh threes they are weaker against impetuous attack in all its forms than against the more me- | thodical variety. At half, on tho .other hand, the South' may lie comparatively weak, simply because the halves are too mechanical and not sufficiently individualisitic in their methods. All thiSj events inaj* iferi inajP.^not confirm. One thing is Certain 1 1iho visit of the South Africans Is being eagerly anticipated and will be the feature of the season, ..■whether- they 'reach or fall short of the New Zealand standard.