NEW RUGBY RULES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21086, 21 January 1932, Page 10

NEW RUGBY RULES.

SCRUM CHANGE ADVOCATED. EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND. ABOLISHING WING-FORWARD. ASSURANCE TO ENGLISH UNION. The suggestion that New Zealand should adopt the 3—2—3 scrum formation in Rugby football has given rise to many arguments over a period of years, and the New Zealand Rugby Union has now infused more life into the subject by circularising the various unions affiliated to it with a view to obtaining their opinions regarding the adoption of this formation. Consequently there is likely to bo a very animated discussion at the annual meeting of delegates to the parent body, to be held about a month or SO before tho opening of the coming season. Practically since the inception of the game in the Dominion, or at least since Rugby came to bo regarded as the national pastime, New Zealand teams, whether club, intcrprovincial or international, have used the 2—3 —2 scrum formation, and have given ono man a roving commission. This man became famous all over the Rugby world as a wing-forward. Ho has been the most discussed player in teams since the time the late David Gallaher led the All Blacks through an almost unbeaten record iu iiio United Kingdom in 1905. New Zealand's Records. There is little necessity to point out that New Zealand teams have met with a wonderful measure . of success against overseas teams, whether playing in tho Dominion or abroad. Every New Zealander looks back with pride upon the records its teams have established in other countries, apart front what has been built up in that respect at home. For these reasons it will not be an easy matter to convince the delegates to the annual meeting of tho parent body that New Zealand's scrum formation is wrong. The chairman of the management coinmi) fee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. S. S. Dean, has staled that that body has given its assurance to the English Union that New Zealand will plav the game according to the rules laid down by jho governing body at Home. This announcement, will not. make pleasant, reading to many of the unions connected with the New Zealand Union, and it remains to be seen whether the members of the management committee will receive tho support of the delegates. The various unions are certain to give very definite instructions fo their delegates before, they depart for Wellington. It is claimed that (lie placing of the wing-forward in the pack will make for brighter and more open play, but (his is very questionable —at least as New Zealanders know the game. A little delving into past history wi 11 p rove thai New Zealand has produced more brilliant backs than any other country. Is this due fo tho wing-forward shairpening-up piny in the back divisions? A great proportion of (he. best- judges would answer the question iu the affirmative. Better ' Backs. New Zealand's backs all round have been better than those of other countries whose stars have undoubtedly been firstclass men, but there have not been nearly so many of them. The idea in Great Britain has almost invariably been to make the wing threequ.arters the scoring men and to get the ball out to them as quickly as possible. The result has been that the inside backs have been more or less merely links in the chain. There have been exceptions with overseas teams, of course, notably in the cases of R. Spong. the brilliant fiveeighths who toured New Zealand with the British team two years ago, B. Osier, the famous Springbok, and T. Lawton, of Australia, one of the finest inside backs the game has ever produced. But for every ono that could be named in oilier countries, New Zealand could name several. Now as to forwards. It is an acknowledged fact in the game of Rugby that a good back team is very little use unless it has in front of it a, reasonably good set of forwards. New Zealand has been noted for the splendid forwards it. has 'invariably produced and they have played no small part in establishing the splendid records which stand to the credit of their country. With such solid foundations as these for their arguments it will not be an easy matter to convince union delegates that there is anything wrong with New Zealand Rugby. New Scrum Rule. The-big bone of contention, of course, will be tho proposed alteration to the scrum rule and the adoption of the 3_2—3 formation. The rule as framed by the International Rugby Board reads as follows: "No player in a scrummage shall raise a foot off the ground or advance either foot beyond the lino of feet of his front row forwards until the ball is fairly in the scrummage, and the first three feet of tho front row forwards of each team on tho side on which tho ball is being put in shall not be so raised or advanced until the ball has passed them." Under the above rule the New Zealand scrum of 2—3—2 would be totally ineffective, as one front-ranker would have to remain absolutely passive, while his companion would be able to hook with his outside foot only. Of course, lie would not stand a chance of securing possession against two of tho three men opposing him. Consequently, if the delegates to tho annual meeting of the New Zealand Union agreo to adopt the English ruling, the famous New Zealand wingforward will bo no more. The next step, however, will be to effectively curb the spoiling work done by the breakaway forwards in the 3—2—3 pack. These players of late years have proved greater obstructionists than any man given a roving commission with New Zealand teams. ONLY BEATING THE AIR. WING -FORWARD NOT DESTRUCTIVE [BY TELEGRAPH. —rnKSS ASSOCIATION.! CHRISTCHURC'H, Wedncsday. Commenting on the Rugby rules situation, Mr. S. F. Wilson, a member of the Canterbury Union and a former president of the New Zealand Union, said:— "Personally I am a firm supporter of the 3-2-3 scrum'formation, but 1 don't agree that the wing-forward is a destructive •clement as far as back play is concerned. That is, a good wing-forward under an efficient referee." "I think that if Mr. S. S- Dean considers lie is going to do away with tho wing-forward by having a 3-2-3 scrum, ho in only beating tho air," concluded Mr. Wilson.