RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5372, 3 September 1904, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

PAST PLAYERS OF THE 6AME OLD TIME REMINISCENCES. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT. No. 11. (By IV. McKjjxzie—“Ow-siun Mac.”) The Now Zealand teams which compare most favourably with that of 100-1, arc tho 1803 fifteen, which boat New South Wales in tho last test match, the best fifteen of 1807, tho 1001 combination which ran over New South IV ales at IVcllingtnn, and tho team of 1003. There wore several weaknesses in both back and forward divisions in the 1801 and 1800 teams. The IcSM team was defeated at Christchurch by New South Wales. Its three-quarter line, Batch, A. Bayley and M. Good, was good enough to play for a kingdom, but the r.emaimng backs wore ragged and some of tho forwards suffered from stagefright. When Bayley retired with concussion of the brain, the remaining fourteen players fell to pieces, and New South Wales won by a narrow margin. Tho Now South Welshmen jubilated over tho victory and in the excitement one of their number alluded in somewhat uncomplimentary terms to tho bright “thatch” carried hy the then secretary of the New Zealand Rugby (Alien. “The delinquent was arraigned and forthwith banished to Sydney. Arrived there he informed the Now South Whiles Union that ho had been sent, by his team os a messenger to carry “rail details of the victory.” The culprit, himself had scored the try which won the match, in a five-yard feint-pass dash, but when he told the story to full Sydney bars, his effort was from goallino to goal-line, through tho whole fifteen. Me told tho story so well, that his Union forgave him his transgressions. 'This player was immortalised in a satirical verse of nine hundred lines, which recorded his travels in New Zea* land and which commenced- somewhat brutally as follows; —• From Sydney’s sunny shores there sailed Tho “Paddington Pet” Plug Hanna, Who left the Port on a bright fine day, Without a single tanner; At which the “Pet” would rise and shako two fingers and say “It’s a lie, I had two quid.” This same player, who is now a respectable citizen and a father, had an inordinate desire for argument. It’led him to tho hospital, for on on© occasion ho tried verbal colloquialisms with a Sydney carrier whose verbosity petered out, and lie (tho carrier) fell back upon his swingle-trcos. This settled the argument for all time, and Manna escaped the cemetery because of bis thick skull. THE TEAM OP “NINETY-THREE.” This was the best fifteen in the 1893 team Full-back. D’Arcy ; three-quart-ers, Gage, Jervis, IVynyard; five-eigluh Bayley (captain); half. Buthuid; wing forwards, Oliphant, McKenzie; forwards, Lambic, Cockron. Murray, Miroa, B. McKenzie, IVatsou and Gray. This fifteen had better all round backs than those of 130-1, but the scrumming of tho forwards was not so good. Page, .fends and IVynyard could each punt fifty yards every time, and they utilised the lino with such mathematical accuracy that th© crowd used to ask them why they did not go to Melbourne and play th© Victorian gam©. Butland’s exhibitions aa a half in that year have never been beaten. Ho would seize the ball from the rear of tho scrum—th© New Zealand wing-forwards could twist the leather from the front of tho scrum quicker and better than Vile ever knew —and open up attack by going through the “gap” between th© scrum and th© winger, in a manner which left his opponents far behind him. Rutland was a great man in the 1894 team, a fact which his West Coast admirers did not forgot On the night the team returned to Wellington and were welcomed by Mr Seddon, Butland received fifty congratulatory telegrams, a gold watch and various other articles of jewellery, i all from tho Coast. Tho 1833 team lauded in Sydney on a Thursday morning and played and iron a match on the afternoon of the same clay. During the next nine days tho team played four matches and travelled many miles and did much banquetting. The team—killed by the banquet ting and the hard grounds—lost the fifth match badly. A week’s spell was taken, four “topnotcliers” were sent over as re-inforccmeuts, and all tho remaining matches were won, Jervis was tho greatest back in that team. His dodge was an cel-like glide, he kicked with both feet, and collared desperately. Ho could “drop” as far as Bush, and was equally as good as a “pot.” In one match ho fractured his jaw and layon tho field for a time like th© dying gladiator, but he continued to play. In another match, the heel was tom from his bost. Ho dived into a mob of New South Welshmen and ro-appearing with a superfluously greasy ball, potted a goal, as clean as ever Roberts potted the red. Th© 1893 team arrived in Australia just as the “boom” was on tho burst, and yet had not ■ quite burst. Champagne was the - ordinary beverage at all receptions. At one place, the team was welcomed five times in eigh hours—each time with champagne. One could nearly have swum in it. In 1897 the awakening was a rude one—tho beverage was beer. FOOTBALLERS AND POLITICS.

It is eleven years since the 1893 team visited Now South Wales, but an incident of tho tour new stands out as boldly as any of the games played—tho visit of the team to Sir Henry Parkes. The old statesman, who was then drifting towards the political touch-line had been ousted from power by George Reid, the present Prime Minister of the Commonwealth and was, in his spare time, attempting to unfurl the Federation flag. Ho had an idea that New Zealand might join in the Federation and knowing that sport had much to do with sentiment, lie invited the New Zealanders to see him, so that ho could pronounce his views on his dearly loved subject. The members of tho team wore to interpret to the New Zealand public. The majority of the New Zealand footballers had a somewhat hazy idea of Sir Henry’s mission in life. It was generally thought that the Octogenarian was a shareholder in the ‘‘Bulletin” Newspaper Company, as ho seemed to absorb much space in tho cartoons of tho famous weekly. Sir Henry lived in a stucco residence in the direction of Eandwick. As the team

filed through tho hall there crawled up tho stairs a four-year-old child of the old statesman. There was no mistaking the" massive head , and the rugged features. The father was eighty, the boy four years of age. The old man and Lady Parkos received us- _ She was rather a handsome woman in the prime of life. She died shortly afterwards and the statesman, married his cook. On the memorable day of our visit, the old follow was not looking in the best oi health. His face was extremely pale, but a pair of blue eyes peered youthfully from beneath his shaggy eyebrows. His head seemed too large for the frail body,' which drooped beneatn a faded frock-coat. The white hair fell in profusion over the shoulders, and ms beard flowed over his waistcoat. He spoke indistinctly and a- crowd of the Follows left him anil streamed into his library. "What might be termed tne social gems of tho team remained to listen to tho long dissertation on federation. To the stranger, the library induced tho thought that Sir Henry was a champion bricklayer; the place was almost flooded with trowels, many of them of designs, beautiful and artistic. A big black garden hat on the table covered two footballer’s heads with ease. This fact and the appearance of a well-thumbed book on pugilism, raised tho statesman somewhat *n the estimation of his young critics, and later tho biscuits given with afternoon tea were surreptitiously''hidden away as mementoes. His parting gift or seven autographed photographs nearly caused a riot. The trouble was quelled by raffling tho souvenirs. I don’t think that Paries’s invitation helped tho cause of Federation in New Zealand* but thatwas not his fault. OLD TIME PLAYERS. If tho 1904 team, with only one wingforward, were to play the 1893 team, the heroes of eleven years ago would win. This year’s combination might got the hull in the scrum, but their back play would bo shivered, and Jervis, Gage, Bayley and Wynyard would prove too many nuts for McGregor, Harper, Wood and Stead. Tho 1901 team that defeated New South Males was a great fifteen. It included Drake, Cross, O’Dowda, Purdue, Cunningham, forwards; arid Duncan, G. Smitn, Wood, Jacobs and Humphries, backs. This forward combination was the heaviest that ever represented New Zealand and was as good as any before or since. The 1897 combination was not particularly strong in forwards (Pauling,. Ca-lnan and Murray were the best}, but tho three-quarter line, W. Smith, Roberts and Armit, supported by Allen, Humphries and Duncan mado the fifteen most formidable.

In the match against New Zealand the other day, a British back, Bush probably, after pretending to force down, ran and kicked tho ball tout at. the twenty-five. At Newcastle, the writer saw Smith run behind his own goal up into the field of play to the fifty flag, where he passed, and the ball never touched the ground till one of our fet lows clasped it beneath the enemy's goal-posts. In football history pages might be written of the deeds of Smith and “Cocky” Roberts. There was little difference respecting the '97, ’Ol, ’OH and ’Ol teams. ~ The best all-round backs ever in the colony wero J. IVarbrick, J. Tiproa, 1). Gage, A. Bayley, Duncan, Jervis, Ward, H. Roberts, H. Kelly and Wallace. Whiteside was one of the most brilliant aggressive players and included in his class are Madigan, ‘Tab” Wynyard, Smith, D. McGregor, Taku, Wood and Ealch. James, of To Ante, was the finest bumping three-quarter who ever stopped on to a field. With his boots off, James could punt forty yards. The best full-back who ever defended a goal was Bob McGowan, Queensland. He was better even than W. Warbriok, of the native team. Ellison was the greatest scoring and line-out forward New Zealand .has produced. In 1897 Pauling was a second Ellison. It is impossible to say who were our best forwards. There are half a hundred of them equally good. Drake, Cross, Calnan, Pauling, O’Dowda, Watson, Gray, G. Campbell, Swindley, Hughes, R. McKenzie, Priest, McLaren, Panning, Gallaher, Nicholson and Murray were or are all in the first flight. Fanning is the best pivot that ever screwed a scrum in New Zealand, and McMmn is probably the best front ranker. On his form, Gallaher is a great wing-for-ward. Good men for the same position are Nicholson, Seeling, Glenn and A. McMinn (Manawatu). Forwards who can punt like Glenn and Seeling arc always worth their places. The high forty yards 1 punt followed up will beat the best of- backs if tb© onslaught is only kept up. The one wing-forward system is a bastard game. There should bo two or none. Wing-forwards should be equally at home in either back or forward play hence their superiority over any particular branch. DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME. It is well-known that football ia an ancient pastime, but it has never been authentically proved that the gam© has been depicted in Egyptian sculpture at Thebes and Memphis. There are Egyptian carvings where individuals iu semi-abbreviated costumes may be seen passing something like a football to one another, but critics differ as to what this something was. Tho game was played in the north of Italy be fore it appeared in England in the middle ages. Both golf and football Ivc.ro considered bad in those days, and there were edicts for their suppression. Both survived, however. The game' had always a strong hold on tho public and previously to the formation of the English Rugby- Union, about 1872, was almost entirely confined to the public schools. It was a rough and tumble game then. There were no laws, each schofil had its own regulations which wero handed down like Maori lore. The scrummages were the features of the struggles—hacking and tripping were concomitants. In fact the game was a sort of prize-tight without rules, and any amount of ancient warfare thrown in. Though thirty-two years have elapsed since a commencement was made to modify the rules, all the old characteristics of the game remain,,and nearly all the same attributes must b.e in possession of tho player who desires to excel. The good old players are equally as good as the good new ones. When the, Union was formed in England, hacking was suppressed. In those days, however, tho mail service between New Zealand and Britain was irregular, and those who followed tho game here paid as much regard to hacking as we do now to passing. In 187(5. when hacking was done arvay with m Britain, the game became very monotonous, and it was decided to reduce the number of players from twenty a side to fifteen. Two years later a radical change was made. Instead of forcing a player to put tho ball down, it was decided that the player must part from the ball immediately he was tackled. This made the game faster. Slow men had no ohanoes of getting to the scrums. Two three-quarter hacks appeared instead of one, but the advantage of feeding the three-quarters was not under-

stood for several seasons. In New Zealand. two three-quarters were played as late as 1884. and the worth or halves sacrificing th ir indiv duality wns not recognised till the advent of Stoddart’s team. Vassail introduced the passing game in England in 1882, when three three-quarters appeared. The> w©te called halves and the halves were called quarters. Tho forwards, packed indiscriminately. After the return of the native team from England, the New Zealand scrum assumed a more scientific basis. Each man was selected for a position. Ellison improved scrum and wing-forward work to almost an art. Tiie front rankers were taught (1892) to sweep with their outside feet, and the pivot was drilled in screwing. Tho scrum was packed so that tho whole weight was thrown upon the pivot. Vv mg-forwards were played before the arrival ot Stoddart’s team hero. They were then placed on tho shelf, until pulled down by Ellison in 1892. He had them in good going order in 1893 and they ran till 1897 in big football —except in Otago—when they were superseded by three halves, which was the native game. As years have gone on the game has become faster and more scientific, more attractive, more .modem and there is a trend towards open play. In fact the public will not stand anything else. They do not mind downright hard, honest play, but they don’t want mediocre individuality. A player must have some brains or out he goes. Wing-fonvard play is a fine game, but it was ruined by too much bustling. Still wing-forwards- will always heat two halves. The only way to cope with wing-forwards is by wing-forwards. Forward play in New Zealand has improved so much that to-day the New .Zealand forwards; are the finest in the world. They aro big, powerful, fast and active men who pass like backs and are rapidly becoming great kickers. When the;, get the ball, they know what to do with it—not like the old-time champion who usually shut his eyes wlien he got his chanco in the open. In forward play lies New Zealand’s strength. A TEAM FOR ENGLAND.

’ The team for Great Britain* should comprise twenty-five players—twelve backs, thirteen forwards. In addition there should bo a coack Duncan is tbe best man for the position. There should also be a trainer. Tbe team will require to be good in the mud. Before they leavo New Zealand, all the men should be I medically examined. Tho team must be selected three months prior to its departure. It will be found a gross mistake to select derelicts with swelled heads, as this sort of business is likely to lead to trouble. It will nob bo necessary to select men so that they may fill many positions. Good men, who play continually in first-class foot-, ball can soon adapt themselves to any position. It is Important *"that all tho backs selected .kick with either foot. In some of the matches this would be wanted badly. Wing-forwards should certainly be selected and'drilled so as to beat tho two half-back game. These wingers should be able to stand back and take part in a passing attack, and be good punters. The team may not play both wing-forward,—only it will be wise for them to have a few strings to their bow, and if the British continue to show a contempt for wing-forward play, all the better for New Zealand. The two front rankers and the nivot are also important positions. The method which marks New Zealand scrum play must succeed against the uncivilised system’in the Old Country. Men like Wallace. D. McGregor, Harvey, Gallaher, Tyler, MoMinn,* Cress, Fanning, Nicholson, Seeling and Glenn should have the best of chances- of being included in the team. The combination should journey via Australia and return through Canada and the United States. Care should be taken that the men do not overtravel and that matches are played on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. (For continuation of Football Notes see Pages 14 and 15.)