Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 1937 THE WING FORWARD

Patea Mail, 3 November 1937, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3, 1937 THE WING FORWARD

IT is gratifying to note that as a

result of the recent visit of the South African Rugby team to this country, the opinion that we have expressed for many years past that the game of Rugby football in this country was being spoilt by the introduction of the wingforward is being upheld in every quarter. Now that the people have seen the passing game played to perfection they are able to compare it with the style of play that they have been treated to in this country for years, with the result that they can see that there is no comparison between the wing-forward and the four threequarter game. A writer in a contemporary, in referring to the visit of the South African team, says:— “It is certain that our visitors, playing the English game, not only beat us at every point, but, as its rules intend, played a game remarkable for brightness and for freedom from those incessant and inevitable breaches of the rules that for 40 years and more the New Zealand game has fostered. In making such a welcome change, we shall be making less a departure than a return to the rules under which we, always played until the New Zealand game was invented. Rugby Union was brought to this country by men born and taught at Home. In the very early days the majority of our club teams must have been composed of Home-born and taught men. As the population increased, the team steadily swung to the other direction, and to-day, and for a good many years past, there have hardly been any players who were born and taught in England. From the outset of Rugby here, then, we for many years played the proper rules of the code. When Stoddart and his fine team came to us he found us playing the same clean game as has always been played at Home, But he improved and brightened our play much by bringing us up to date in our back play. This healthy position lasted until someone invented the wingf-for-wartl with its corollary, the 2-3-2 formation. We now know that that innovation was the ruin of our game. And we can better understand why it has made our methods of play so greatly and deservedly disliked by other countries. The adoption of the New Zealand game had a further effect. We ceased to bo a Rugby Union country. We became something of a Rugby Tshmael. Should we return to the proper rules, it will mean that the 2-3-2 is dead. And so will be the wing-forward, loose forward, breakaway forward, loose head, and rover (if he roves before the ball is out of the scrum). The 3-4-1 formation may remain for a while, until offside play around the serum has been finally killed. , And the killing of it can be made quick and painless if team captains will use their powers. The remedy is quite simple, It is to drop out of the team every forward who will not honestly remain and use his whole weight in the serum until the ball is out of it, When

off-side play round the scrum has died, then we can go back to the true scrum formation, 2-3-2.” The correspondent also put forward the very good suggestion that the New Zealand Rugby Council should meet at an early date with a view to making such alterations in the rules as may be necessary to ensure that the wing-forward be dropped for good. If this is done the Rugby Union game will flourish. If not then the League game will flourish and the Union game will soon become a game of other days.