IMPROVED FORM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27389, 15 May 1950, Page 6

IMPROVED FORM

Brilliance Of Backs SCRUM WEAKNESSES Staff Reporter WESTPORT, May 14. The touring British Isles Rugby footballers yesterday showed a great improvement on the form displayed in their opening match at Nelson last Wednesday. For part of the first half and all of the second spell of the match the team was reduced to 14 men. J. W. McKay, the Irish wing forward, sprained his ankle and after returning to the field retired at half time. fuller last year gained general recognition as one of the best provincial teams in the country. This year’s team closely resembles last year’s, and there was, therefore, much merit in the performance of the tourists. They had the luck to win the toss and by taking the brisk breeze for the first half secured a decided advantage. Nevertheless, by comparison with with the hesitance, mishandling and offside play of the first match, their play yesterday was substantialy better in almost every respect. There was better cohesion in the backline, the line out play was greatly improved, and some capital use was made of the backs. The team’s try in the second spell was an excellent demonstration of this speed. Only four men’ handled,' and yet about 80 yards of ground was gained. Three weaknesses of some consequence were evident. These were a slow service from the scrum, a weakness of handling, combination and defence in midfield and—most pronounced of all—a looseness of packing In the rucks which permitted the light but extremely vigorous Buller forwards time after time.to break through in dangerous rushes. A. W. Black, the Scottish, scrumhalf, had never before played with J. W. Kyle, the Irish outside half, and some weakness in combination between them was, therefore, to be expected. As against this weakness, Black several times threw a reverse pass either to the blind side wing or to Kyle, and without exception this was a fast, accurate, and extremely long pass However, in the. straightforward passing to the open side of the scrum or line out, Black, as a matter of course, had to pick the ball up before he began the pass, and this detailed procedure undoubtedly affected the speed of his delivery. R. Macdonald and J. Matthews, the centres, had a much better time in this match than against the Combined team at Nelson, even though Matthews was prone to make his tackles too high and Macdonald needed room to work up speed. Nevertheless, they, and to a certain extent Kyle, shared a propensity toward loose, even foolish, passing without attention to the position of the receiver, and with a very high degree of risk involved. It was exciting, stirring stuff to see the balj being flung about—one might even- say that it was magnificent—but it was not good Rugby. The third weakness, that of the forwards in failing to pack tightly in the loose scrums, was the greatest of all. In spite of being outweighed by more than a stone a man, the Buller forwards for 10 or 15 minutes of the first half and, perhaps, two-thirds of the second half, were able either to break through or away from the rucks with the ball under command. Roy John, the Welsh forward, in his first game caught the bal’ in the line outs with unerring accuracy., Karl Mullen, the hooker, won 23 scrums against nine to Buller, and in six of these winning scrums Buller had the advantage of the loose-head. Kyle, at outside-half, was an extremely capable player, almost certainly of greater skill than any first five-eighth in New Zealand today. Ken Jones, the Welsh winger, was not only as fast as one would expect an Olympic-sprinter to be, but he was into the bargain a thorough footballer. R. T. Evans, and until his retirement, McKay, were flank forwards of extraordinary speed and toughness, and, lastly, G. W. Norton, the Irish full-back, was a fine defender, a splendid punt and an excellent goal kick. Buller, in fact, was overwhelmed in the first half by the speed, daring and mobility of the British Isles team.