THE FINAL TEST

Southland Times, Issue 19330, 15 September 1921, Page 3

THE FINAL TEST

-WAKE UP, NEW ZEALAND." DISCUSSIONS RE STYLES. (Ernest E. Booth, N.Z. 1905-6-7; N.S. Wales, 1908-9-10). It is doubtful if the public interest in football politics, including matches, management, players, reverses and prospects has been greater in New Zealand since the “All Black” tour in 1905-6. The two overseas combinations from South Africa and Australia have struck deep into the dominion’s pride and glory of its football supremacy by their almost unchecked careers. “What has happened to our football?” is the national question everywhere from the Bluff to the North Cape. All classes and conditions are anxious, with the third test—the actual rubber game—so close at hand. The signal defeat of the New Zealand “B” or reserve team by the New South Wales representatives has almost afflicted many persons with “nerves” re the final. Still the New Zealand public and players can take a defeat like good sports. No one who was present at Bradford in 1918 when the Australian Inter-Service team beat New Zealand can forget the wonderful warmth and camaraderie which New Zealand exhibited towards the Aussies after the match, and especially at the dinner. I was present holding very mixed feelings. It takes heroes to accept defeat and come again. The present position of our Rugby football of to-day is attributable to many influences. These may be chiefly grouped under the headings of: First, players; second, selection ; third, methods of play, and opposition. Various reasons can be assigned for the unique position of the game in New Zealand to-day. The under rating of both African and Australian teams has been universal throughout New Zealand, and especially by many prominent players. The trouble is easily distinguished. No one is to blame. The hypothesis is simply that New Zealand has considerably overrated its own present standard. The acid test of good outside opposition has demonstrated this amply and clearly. The smug complacency of our superiority has been rudely shattered, and has new fled, and given place to a feeling of wonderment. This last thrashing of really a first-flight New Zealand team by the New South Wales team (mostly all colts) should be sufficient to make New Zealand “wake up” before the next test. Many persons imagine that the national form has depreciated beyond redemption. Such is not the case. The material, the men are here; yet whilst admitting that New Zealand international form is below standard as shown in the test games, there is no cause for alarm. Due allowance must be made for the great advantage of cemented combination to opposition the Africans possess. The improvement in this team since landing in Australia is truly amazing. Suppose these men had been fully trained and taught to play Rugby with all the best ideals, theories, and style of New Zealand, what a terrific side they would have become. As it is at present, the most unexpected possibility has happened in the Africans’ almost triumphal tour of victory through New Zealand. Six months ago no sane writer, critic or prophet would have dared to have prophesied their present colossal success. They have exceeded the uttermost sanguine expectations of everyone in South Africa, including their own selectors, press, public, and incidentally themselves. New Zealand has been confounded and must conscript all her Rugby resources. Whilst possibly admitting a depreciated New Zealand form, there are other points to be considered, notably the selection of players. A selector’s life is not a happy one, and like the referee’s is unenviable and thankless. Asked for my selection from players available, I would select Kingston, Steele, Ifwerson, Ford, Fea, Weston (Auckland), E. Roberts, Beiliss, Fogarty, Standen, Moffitt, West, Fletcher, Richardson and Turnbull.

Fea was the most brilliant back in the Otago-Southland match. His opening movements and jinky running were a feature -.-of the game. Their valuation of a player is final. An error common in New Zealand selections is the continual inclusion of many reputation players. With a team like the Africans, with their splendid methods and style of play, a demand is at once made for exceptional tactics, methods and new order of play and training also. In several articles I have written previously I pointed out the wonderful defensive strength of the Africans, and counselled special preparation of all interprovincial teams. It takes weight to oppose weight. The good big men beat the good little men every time, and the old New Zealand method of invariably selecting short, light, clever hookers appeared to me a great error. Subsequent events have justified this expectation. The difference in poundage in scrummaging against the Africans has been more than most people imagine. Tall, fast, heavy, aggressive dribbling forwards of the Wally Drake-Tom Cross-Charles Seeling-Barney O’Dowd type should have been corralled together early, and been taught and trained for a three-match Rugby championship of the world. The last New Zealand scrums have been lacking in absolute hard-pushing power. More dribbling talent is necessary,

and hard, fast, “follow-on,” tackling forwards should be incorporated in the next team. The first and second tests have passed, and really left little or no combination behind. Now the third team, which can almost be classed as experimental, comes up for trial. The present “housing” scheme over at Day’s Bay is a step in the right direction. The present-day super fluity of distractions and pleasures, cigarettes, picture shows etc., are not conducive to the highest physical attainment. Another loss in New Zealand is the absence of the different styles and tricks which each individual province at one time possessed. The modern craze for fast, open, spectacu-

lar play, a public craving for jazzing, may ' have undermined the tackling and general defensive measures. Dashing rucks from line-outs, systematic scrum-screwing, ami thorough dribbling rushes are getting a'l too rare. The want of many of these specialities has robbed the game of variety. Now. the question of the adoption or trial of the eight-scrum has sprung up as a result of the continued success of both the Africans and Australians in securing possession in the scrums. Following close upon the desire to try I new players comes the suggestion to try new methods. The staid stereotyped methods of play throughout New Zealand have seemingly diminished much of the initiative of individual players. A player nowadays seems scared to get caught, out of position, and yet many great players like Dally Messenger often made almost a practice of it. The use or adoption of the 3 2-3 scrum might help to instill new ideas and more initiative into the game. The abolition of the wing forward is something eminently desirable in many ways. He is a spoiler, a destroying agency against open and crisp spectacular passing movements, which are the brightest attraction of the Rugby code. The wing-forward is a local creation, and this order of play has done much to bring almost stinging abuse on New Zealand teams abroad. The wing-Lr-ward’s total abolition would be no loss to the game. Abolishing the wing-forward means adopting the old British scrum formation of 3-2-3. The difference between the two styles of scrums has been a subject of almost infinite argument and controversy for years. Personally, I think the 8 pack best for securing possession, easiest to learn, balances easier and offers more chance u, variety. Also, it means a world standar-i isation of scrum formation. George Howe. N.Z.R.F.U., who has accompanied the Au tralian team on its tour, is fully convince of its excellence, and considers its adoption in New Zealand will be for the benefit of the game. “Teddy” Roberts is quite satis- j

fled about its greater utility in many ways. It is quite possible that some teams will try it first as an experiment. One London club, the well-known Harlequin, adopted the New Zealand formation for one season, but gave it up as unsatisfactory. Much, of course, depends on the actual players. The New South Wales team have finished their New Zealand tour with a won- | derful record; in fact the best any Aus- '• tralian team has ever established here in New Zealand. Much of their success they attribute to their successful hooking in the I scrums. They have obtained over 75 per cent, ball possession, and, consequently, were enabled to set up almost continual attack. The adoption of the 8-scrum in New Zealand would be received with great elation by the Rugbyites of England. The tour of the “Aussies” has been simply a i joy-ride as far as testing their quality as * players is concerned. It is a very great pity that this team I was not pitted against interprovincial I teams more worthy of their steel, who • would have probably beaten them, or at i least extended them. As the tour now ' stands, the New South Wales team has ! only once been fully extended, that being j in their last match against New Zealand ; B, or reserve team. The only fear the Australians felt on the tour was not the loss of matches, but the loss of men by accident and misfortune. The Australians were immensely impressed by the wonderful physique of dozens of the men they played against, their immense size, weight and ac- [ tivity, and conjoined to such a lamentable lack of playing acumen and knowledge of any of the finer points of the game. Mr Dunne, a member of the A.I.F. InterService team, who is an exceedingly tremendous enthusiast for the game and its progress and improvement, said he thought that the controlling unions should send out competent coaches or teachers to propound and inculcate a better idea of combined and I finished play. Mr Bosward thinks the New I Zealand backs as a whole have seemingly lost their old-time art of comprehensive understanding in back play. The most outstanding loss and weakness being that of | fast, well-directed and continuous passing I and straight running. The Australians have specialised in this j tour in feeding their backs from open J rucks, knocking back and feeding from line-outs and serums. The Australian, ere I very much concerned re the result oi the next test, their sympathies naturally swaying towards New Zealand's success.