PLAYING OUT OF TOUCH

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 52

PLAYING OUT OF TOUCH

There are many different styles of play out of touch (says a well-known English international player), and on a great mimbpt of occasions when the ball is thrown out of touch, the result is merely a tcrummag". It is not an easy matter for a forward to gain much ground out of touch, or, at anyrate, it 6hould not be, if the opposing forwards mark their men properly. A forward has no business to be allowed to catch tho ball when thrown out of touch and run away with it. If this docs happen, it ia simply a sign of carelessness on the part of his opponents. A powerful foiwaid often make 3 several yards for his side by struggling on until he is finally thrown down or the ball is held, but the bost way of gaining ground out of touch is by breaking pway with, the ball at y<^ur feet. When the half throw* tho ball out to his forwards, the man who catchers it must try and put it down at once in front cf the n an next to him, who must then break away into a dubble, followed by the others. It is better to put the ball in front of another forward, as it is general'}- a good deal easier for him to break away than for the man who has caught the ball, as the latter is already probably half collared by his \is-a-\is, and is thus hampered. I have seen this done most successfully — the only danger being at {he very commencement, when tho forward who is breaking away is rather apt to kick the ball too hard, j>nd thus feed the opposing three-quarters, who will then have time either to get m a kick or start a passing iun.

Another good way of making ground easily out of touch, and ono that is very disheartening to the other side, is for the forward who catches the ball to throw it back again to the half, who must run behind the line-out immediately lie has thrown tho ball out of touch, or else to one of his three-quarters, who can then kick it over the forwards into touch again for a long way down. I have often seen the ball carried right down the field like this. To carry this out properly there must be a perfect understanding existing between the forwards and the halves ; and the forwards have to be very carpful that tho ball is passed straight to the half, and not thrown wildly away anywhere, while the half has to make sure of his kick clearing his forwards and also finding touch. It is useless kicking it anywhere up the field, it must go into touch; while if the half kicks it right into the backs of hie forwards he very often lets his side down badly. Both these methods I have mentioned should only bo adopted aa far as possible in mid-field, as when playing on the defensive or in one's own twenty-five, it is foolioh to risk anything, while, again, when one is in the attack, it is fehe bebinds who must do the scoring by passing movements, and the ball must be kept out of touch as much as possible.

I a4ways consider it advisable when playing on the defensive to give the preference to a syds' scrummage rather than risk a throw out of touch, especially if one has the better scrummage, and also when on the attack, a syds or 15yds scrummage may be advisable. Every kick-off must be well backed up by the forwards, and when the kick-off i 8 with your opponents^ the same three forjvarda

j should always drop back — one in the centre I and one on each touch line.