RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22258, 10 May 1934, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

By Full-Back. OTAGO AND NORTH OTAGO FIXTURES The following arc the Otago and North Otago fixtures for the season:— July 16.—Otago v. North Otago, Oamaru. July "21, —Otago Sub-unions v. South-' ■ land Sub-unions, Invercargill. July 25.—Otago v. Hawke’s Bay, Duni edin. July 28.—South Canterbury v. North Otago, Oamaru. August. 4.—Otago v. Canterbury (Payne ’Trophy), Dunedin. August 11,-—Canterbury r. Otago, Dunedin. - August 18.—Otago v. Southland, Inver-- ... • cargill. _■ ’■ August 25. —North Otago v. South Canterbury, Timaru; Otago v. Southland, Dunedin.' August 28.—Nelson v. North Otago, Oamaru. , September I.—Ashburton t. iNorth Otago, Ashburton. i /September s.—South Canterbury v. Otago, Dunedin. September B.—Otago v. Wellington, Dunedin. September 29. —North v. South. Island, , Dunedin. ■ ' . _ August 4-i-Payne Trophy match, Dun- .•, edin. ■V- ‘ , -. ANSWER TO ' CORRESPONDENT “Southern,”—Will .look up the .records and reply next-week., ■■■• The heavy, rain which fell at the weekend left the grounds iri : such a bad state that it wai found necessary to-postpone the playing of; all the Rugby, games, Ron Bush, who ‘ played fulhbrick for Otago University arid whb represented New Zealand, will this year captain the Auckland University team. N ' Ted Collett,. the well-known Dunedin Club and Otago forward, is this year coaching; the Napier Marist Old Boys team. A young brother is playing in the Dunedin’Club pack. _ . Petene, under, the guidance of Ginger Nicholls. have decided to. revert to the Seven (2—3-r2) scrum (says a northern paper). :■ . . : "University .are. very fortunate .in possess- ' ini such a useful half-back as Rae proved himself last. Saturday (says the Wellington Boat of May 5). “Not only did he , obtain two tries in spectacular manner, bat he afeo added the major points on occasions. - - TEST RUGBY Sidelights oh international Rugby and test atmosphere were given by Mr F. W. Lucas, an All in 1923-24-25-28-30, ■ in an address arthe weekly /luncheon of ; the Auckland; Optiiriists’ Club. __ It; has often been said, that New Zealahders .arri.tou'grim.’that they, take their 'football too. seriously, . and that they are ‘pot-hunters,’” Said Mr Lucas. .“Those views have been expressed in England, ■ : but to those critics I answer: How can :j-ou play, Rugby, or any game, if you do not' play to win? Of course, New Zealand teams play to win. On the'other hand, the Englishman is inclined to take his Rugby too casually.?’ . . ,Tn International matches—in fact, in all Rugby matches—-there were three unwritten laws, that applied ,tri backs; (1) Do your own job; (2) never pass to' a-man wjio is in a worse position than you; (3) back up both in attack and defence. The player who strictly observed those three golden rules was generally head and-shoul-ders above .other- players.. ' "v - ; ; " Intensive • backing up was the key to the success - of. thri famous 1924 All Blacks, the ‘greatest;team in .the post-; war period. 'The difference between the ' 1924 team and the- side which toured . South- Africa in 1928 --was that ..one backed up and the other did not. The 1928 team was not efficient in backing up, and was therefore less successful! The 1928 team-contained the players, and, if the aides shad been picked correctly, there waS no-reason why they should not have been as good as the 1924 team. _ In 1930 thri AH Black team against ■ the British tourists contained several of the 1924 playrirs, but they did not combine. sia. tney,,should have done. Had they played* .together again l before the matches, the{lß3Q’; Te*t .Sides would have been good as those which made their naffica? in England. -i BEFORE THE BATTLE.

Test atmosphere and; its; effect on the individual player was referred to by Mr Luces. Most players were affected differently. . £»ome could .rest before a match, some -could sleep, while others had to be “ bn the move ” all the time. Some were «- bundle of nerves until they got on ’ the" field, others were silent and wanted, to be left alone. But all Test players who represented New Zealand went bn to . the field with determination on their faces and-a will to win. Several', comicincidents on and off the - field were, recalled by". Mr. Lucas. He said that severs.! years ago when an Auck- - land touring team was- playing a southern province, the ’ run of the luck was all agaiinat Auckland, arid .it was noticeable that the referee was by no means i kind' to Auckland. In his enthusiasm for, the home' side, he even cheered- on one occasion when they scored, but the gem came: when he blew- a whistle for a free kick. “ Whose ball? ” asked the Auckland captain.. "Ours,” said the referee. '

■ The late Mr Neil Galbraith, who was the manager of the New Zealand team which . played in New. South Wales >n 1905, told “ Full-Back ” that G. W. Smith, the speedy three-quarter, would have a light lynch on the day of a; matin and then undress, get into bed, and go to sleep for an hour or two.; An illustration of the effect of mind over matter.

ALL BLACKS SELECTION , ; COMMITTEE “It j* a big job; and the best men-pos-sible should be found for it ” (writes ‘• Drop-kick " in the Wellington Post, when referring to the. appointment of the AH Blacks Selection Committee). “Mr E. > M'Kenzie must be one, and for another from the North Island no batter man is offering than Mr V. R. Meredith, of Auckland. The pity is that New Zealand football has not had more of Mr Meredith s service, but now that that Rugby stalwart is selecting again in Auckland, it is to be hoped that he will be offering as a New Zealand selector for the all-important work ahead. There is little need to look any further—both men, Mr M'Kenzie and Mr Meredith—are eminently suited for the work. It was expected in some quarters , that Mr A. M'Donald, an ex-New Zealand and Smith Island selector, would b e Mr Millard’s successor in Wellington, and had that been so he. too, must have been regarded as a strong candidate for thq, ’ next New Zealand' Selection Committee. He could, of course, he nominated if any union so desired. So far as the South Island is concerned, it is to be expected that'Mr A. A. Adams (West Coast) will he returned to office. There will, of course, he. other nominees, and the choice from them may not be easy.” After “Drop-kick’s” selection I should imagine, however, that there would not be much choice left as regards anyone else. At any rate, the selection of an ' All Black , team is not such an arduous affair as many people appear to think, and ■ I could supply illustrations of .where the element of luck entered largely into the selection. IJp to now the following have been nominated:—Messrs W. Pearson (Otago), Y.-R. Meredith (Auckland), E. M'Kenzie (Wairarapa), A. .M'Donald (Wellington), A.- A. Adams (West Coast), P. Harvey (Canterbury), and A. J. Geddes (Southland). In some cases the nominees are supported by unions other than those with which they are directly associated 'well as by their own unions. In the case of Mr M'Donald (who is not Wellington’s selector) the nomination is made by Biish Districts, who also nominate Mr M'Kenzie. j' RUGBY TACTICS ' ; ADVICE TO COACHES. The importance of sound scrummaging wa« emphasised by Mr M. F. Nicholls, the 1924 and 1928 All Black, in an address to Wellington Rugby, club coaches *t“ the Commercial Travellers’ Club recently. : ■

Sound scrummaging, Mr Nicholls said, meant possession, and possession was nine points of Rugby. Securing possession from the set scrums did not matter so much to the 1924 New Zealand team in England, but it meant a very great deal to the 1928 All Blacks in South Africa, when the giant Springbok forwards invariably hooked the ball, and sent it back to Benny Osier, the South African first fivq-eighth, who, by his kicking to touch, kept, the New Zealanders almost continuously on the defensive. . The laws, he said, provided that a scrum should be ordered for a breach of the rules, and the non-offending side had the right to put the ball into the scrum. The half-back should see to it that he put the ball into the scrum on the side on which his scrummagers had the loose head. Referees had no right to order on which side of the scrum the ball should be put in. There had been a tendency in New Zealand to play small men in the front row of the scrum, with giants behind them. This was altogether wrong, as Swain found in. South Africa, when he had his ribs cracked through taking an undue strain. In South Africa 12stone New Zealanders had to pack down opposite 14-stone Springboks, and our front-row men simply crumpled up. The time had come when it was essentia] to have’ .uniformity in the scrum. The South African forwards were all about the same weight and height. Passing on to back play, the famous New Zealand All Black said that an attack once launched should always be continued in the direction in which it started. Backs should run with arms extended to the full limit, and pass with the tips of the fingers. Rugby football had advanced to the stage when passing bad to be exceptionally brilliant to meet with success. Often a correct pass spelt a try, and backs should always deliver a pass so that the man to whom it was sent could not miss it. Each back on defence should mark his man alone, and pay no attention to anyone else. Too often tries were scored through backs going out of their way to do someone elee’s job, thus leaving a gap in the defence. Forwards should keep their feet, as they were no good to the side when lying on the ground. Forwards in serum and ruck should always pack ou the leps of their team mates. Coaches should pay particular attention to serums and line outs, as if successful they gave possession of the bail. The first push in the scrum was of vital importance. Forwards, however, when on defence, should not kick indiscriminately. When near their own line they should hold the ball until the defence rallied. To kick up-field was simply to heel the ball to the attacking backs.