RUGBY SCRUM ALTERED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 29 November 1929, Page 16

RUGBY SCRUM ALTERED.

ACTION OF ENGLISH CLUB

[from our own con respondent. I . LONDON, Oct, 18. There was a rather significant happening in Rugby football last week-end, says the Daily Chronicle. The Old Blues, who for many years now have been disciples of the seven forwards and eight backs formation, went back to the orthodoxeight forwards and seven backs in their match with the Old Alleynians. As they won by 24 points to five, they are likely to continue on the now-old road.

"The significance of this move is that (ho Old Blues are, so far as I know, the last of the English clubs who have, experimented with it. to desert the New Zealand formation," says the writer. "Leicester adopted it for several seasons, and Bath for a shorter period, but both have for some time been back to tho old formation. . "1 have always thought you must .have sevon exceptionally big and strong and skilful forwards to get tho ball, when scrummaging ■ against a good pack of eighi, and A. C. Bennett, the OlcP Blues' captain, tells me that his club decided lo make tho change because they found that, against such experienced hookers as D. J. Norman, at Leicester, and Sam Tucker, at Bristol, they ;• Were not getting the ball.

"Bennett produced an admirable little booklet on general theties relating to the seven-forward formation only as recently as tho beginning of this" season, so one admires tho• courage both of himself and tho club in making tho change."