RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

LETTER FROM “ BOBBY " SMITH. / An old Union Club player, R.' T.' (“Bobby”) Smith,- who was a very, clever fivereightb, and represented Otago in 1896, writes- to. “ Full Back”, as follows from Levin:— ; It'has given me great pleasure to read your reminiscences in the Daily Times of. September 19. It has called to my mind long-forgotten players and events.' • It was just . about the" early days yoti v write of that ■ I took an interest;' in football—with the. visit of Stoddart’s ' and Che Maori Native teams., I was - going to school at the time, and used to ' get the bigger boys to write . excuses to enable me to get' away to see the matches. What struck me mostly with Stoddart’s team was the same point that. struck yon—whiteheaded Anderton running through the Otago team and Stoddart, with his straight rims and passing the ball before he was collared. It was not thought proper to pass till you were- collared in those days. Another incident was when Pat Keogh Lad seven jerseys tom off his back playing against the Maoris; before he was asked .to go with the Native team to England. Another incident, though I never, saw the letter, but I can pick the writer, was “ Bobby. File ; wood’s ” letter to the' referee. He was .a great' barfackdr and follower of. the Union. Another barracker was Bob MTanlay, who used- to be playing, in the game behind the side lines, and his kicking and collaring used to he amusing to watch. It is fine to think that Harry Harris is just ne keen on football now as when he was when I first played with 1 ' him. >He was my first coach; and well his advice stood to me in future, years. I was the stand-off half in those days, only two halves being played. 1 Was raw, and you will remember when'- we played the great Alhambra-, to- a 'drawer-14 . points all; I ran through the Alhambra team several times, but did not know when to pass, and when I saw Billy Rosa (full-back) .I thought that I had gone far enough,- and -I passed to someone else. After-that Harry Harris showed me how to run to a man before passing, and I never made that mistake again -as : long l as I played. As an outstanding defensive player 1 have-not seen a better than “Biggie™ M'Lennam ■ His left foot touch-finding and liia afire handling wer.e hard to beat. Old players are well scattered now. - I have one photo of the old Union Club, 1893, and I often gaze at it and wonder where they all are. I am now 66 years of age, and was. only a kid when I played ,my .first senior match (1892); when I played full-back against the Kaikorai on the North Ground. I am still as active as ever and am keeping in good health. Your remarks about Duncan’s play are fairly correct, but most writers today seem to miss this point in his play. Duncan , used, to stand close up to the scrum, giving his pass to his second five-eighths, then whip round behind him and take the pass from him. .His success, of course, was the three fiveeighth system he played. It can only he done by a very fast man, and he had the speed and Weight. Another player* Jim Bee-r-now, he was a specialist -an drop and .place kicking- He never ran at a place kick—just stood, but he never took a long kick. Why should we not specialise to-day ~ and have a short kicker and a long' kicker—one seems to spoil the other. A good long kick will often miss very easy ones. We specialise ' in every department of the game, hut place kicking we seem to forget Another point that should go to the credit of Otago is the playing of twa five* Eighths. The first- time I remember they were played was in the match Alhambra v. Masterton on the Cale-donian-Ground in the second spell, when, they took Billy Johnston out of the scrum. The move was such a success, that the Masterton backs could do nothing to stop the Alhambra backs, who ' won 14 to 4. Masterton was the . champion team of -the North Island ,at the time. Now this system is played by' .every club. I will give you my impression of the British team. They played delightful, football in the three matches I saw—against Wellington, the Maoris, and the fourth test. In the first place I think that we have the most scientific method of placing the field, both for defence and attack. Our scrum, seven against eight, held the Englishmen with ease. The Wellington forwards were getting all 'over the British at the finish, and so were the Maoris, till their condition petered out. The greatest weakness I noticed with the British team was the' half-back. They gave him too much to do. ’ They’ had him on the run all the time, putting the hall in the scrum, and having to run back when hie side hooked it, to give it to his backs. This told the other side who had hooked the ball. If Wellington got the ball the half-, back played wing-forward. On the other hand, as soon as he started to runbehind hie own pack the Wellington backs moved right on to the British backs, and as soon as they got the ball-, from their half they were downed. Had he been standing behind the pack and whipped the ball out from a clean hook, the British backs would have been mov- ’ ing before the other backs knew who - had hooked the ball. Sometimes the ■ British back row men had to hold the ball till the half-hack got there. Thus valuable time was lost. Till the British alter their formation I cannot see how' they are ever going to beat New Zealand. The greatest lesson which the British have taught us is to stick to our pro ' sent formation. The Alhambra team of 1891-92 is tinfinest club team I have ever sceu, both back and forward. Though Kaikorar had a fine record, it was their backf and not their forwards that made it Remember me to all the Union oldtimers.