THE ALL BLACKS

Southland Times, Issue 19395, 8 November 1924, Page 6

THE ALL BLACKS

THE MATCH AGAINST ULSTER GOOD BACK PLAY BY NEW ZEALANDERS PLENTY OF RESOURCE. (By Telegraph—Press A .ssn. —Copyright). (Australian and NJ. Cable Association). LONDON, Novembers. In the match against the All Blacks on Wednesday. Ulster had a creditable and equal share of the game, but were weak behind the scrum, where the New Zealanders were convincing. The latter’s large margin was due to the pace and resource of the backs. COMMENT ON THE PLAY. IMPROVED PLACE KICKING BACKS HANDLE BETTER. (By Onlooker.) In playing Ulster the All Blacks were breaking new ground, and, as the team included eleven of the Irish international team, a win of 28 to 6 was a good one. The cable does not state what players were included in the New Zealand team but from the details received Mill was playing behind the scrum with Nicholls and Cocke as his nearest attendants. The All Black forwards again gave their backs plenty of ball and with a dry ground the result was much better than in the game against Ireland. This indicates that the team, playing under conditions at all favorable to handling, is capable of putting on points against the strongest opposition. Cooke was back on his game again and was able to make some openings, for his wings. There is just danger that the Selection Committee will overwork this brilliant player and thus rob the team of one of its greatest assets —a player who can make openings. Although the tour is now half over the Selection Committee have failed to find a substitute for Nepia at full back, and the brilliant Maori has played in every game. It is to be regretted that he has not been given a spell as he cannot continue to produce his best form consistently. His methods are unorthodox and in the match against Ulster he started a passing movement which ended in a try. This is not the first time that he has done this, but it is the first time that the movement has been successful. Since landing in England Nepia has played consistently well and it is time he had a spell, before the more strenuous matches in England commence. Hart was replaced by Steele and it is surprising that the big West Coaster has not been played in more matches. His slight injury, received on the boat, might have prevented him from being included in many of the matches, but his weight is a great asset over the last few yards, and will often mean the gaining of a try. The backs were Mill, Nicholls, Cooke, Svenson, Lucas, Steele and Nepia. There was a big improvement in the place kicking and five of the six tries were converted. It is to be hoped that Nicholls retains the form he showed in this department as a* conversion means two extra points, and might mean the winning of many of the future matches where the opposition is reported to be stronger. The place kicking has been weak in the past and there is no reason why this should be so as the team has had plenty of time to bring this department of the game to a high standard. Again the forwards came through with a good record and, if the cable is correct in its statement that the Ulster team was stronger forward than Ireland, then the pack has every reason to be well pleased with the match result. Every game gives the pack more experience in meeting the various scrum formations favoured by English and Irish teams. The packing is often changed and instead of the universal 3—2 —3, the scrum is sometimes 3 —3—2, while a simple 3—3 scrum is also packed and two forwards put out as spoilers. The English writers all condemn the w’ing forward as played by the All Blacks, but they overlook the fact that England last year packed a 3—3 scrum and played two wing forwards! It was to this formation that the English team owed a lot of its success. However, if the New Zealand front rankers secure the ball and the scrum is properly packed two wing forwards will not trouble the All Black half, as the ball will be away before the wing forwards can get round the scrum. HALF THE TOUR COMPLETED TEAM’S RECORD TO DATE OBJECTIONS TO MAORILAND FORMATION. The present All Black team, which to date has played half its fixtures and won them all, was selected only after the Dominion had been combed from end to end by a travelling selection committee which saw the pick of the players nominated by each province, and from them chose the 29 players who are at present making fresh Rugby history in Old England, the cradle of the modern Rugby game. There may be differences of opinion as to whether it was wise to select men on present form only, as was done under this year's system, but there can be none about the thoroughness with which all the available talent was got together, closely scrutinised, and finally weeded out until the bare number required was selected and despatched on its great mission to the other side of the world. THE ABSENCE OF A COACH. The preliminary tour of Australia and New Zealand gave a good indication of the All Blacks’ form under winning conditions, and also under adverse circumstances, but in spite of two defeats, the consensus of expert opinion was that the material for a great side was there, the only regret being that an expert coach was not available, in view of the absence on either the managerial ar playing side of a real team leader of the type of Jas. Duncan, Dave Gallaher, “Off-side" McKenzie, and other great captains of the past. It is this deficiency that probably largely accounts for the erratic display of the New Zealanders in their earlier matches, but the indications at present are that they are steadily working up into their top form, and the next month or so should see them at their best. ENGLISH CRITIC ON SCRUM FORMATION. “Übique,” of London Sportsman, a keen eritic of the game, but an inveterate foe of the Maoriland 2—-3—2 scrum and wingforward, writes interestingly on the earlier matches of the New Zealanders, but does not forget his pet aversions in passing. He says:— “While I must withold a definite opinion of the calibre of the present New Zealand side until they have had time to settle down, there can be no doubt of their potentialities. Tlieir inside men may not possess the physique of post-war International players, but there it nothing at fault on that score in regard to their forwards. What is most interesting is how these huge forwards and their of packing, 2—3—2, will fare against sturdy opposition with three up in the front row. We saw that Devon, with 33 —1, *nd sometimes 3—2—2 got the ball seven times out of ten. If ocher packs do the same, it may compel the New Zealanders to alter their formation. TACTICS IN THE SCRUM "Clippings from a New South Wales newspaper which were sent to me in connection with ihe matches the Nev Zealanders played

! in that State while en route here, make ilI luminativc reading. They take strong exception to C. G. Porter and J. H. Parker’s i tactics of putting the ball into the scrum . and remaining alongside the first or second row of their forwards while the latter are I heeling, thereby being off-side. But they . admit these two players cannot be held re- ■ sponsible for the iniquity, since ‘they are I the product of a system, the inception of i which ignored the principle—to say nothing of the spirit—of Rugby, and persistence in ! which is incomprehensible to everyone out- ' side New Zealand with an elementary knowledge of the laws of the game. . . . All ■ they need to do to achieve fame,as rovers ! or loose forwards is to stay behind the ball ■ while it is in the scrum.’ “Porter was described on the programme ! on Saturday as a half-back. That the N.S.W. 1 critic is right in his statement that ‘they j are the product of a system’ is confirmed j in the following paragraph written in a ■ weekly contemporary on Monday by a memi ber of the 1905 team: < I “ ‘The English idea of the scrum half- ' back having to get round to the base of his j scrum appears ancient in comparison with ■ the New Zealand idea of the winger putting ! in the ball and the scrum-half standing ready.’ “Surely this is covered under the heading of ‘Penalties,’ Law 11 (1) ? THE WAR-CRY. “A personal note before I close. An anonymous correspondent, whose identity I do not think it would take me much time ' to discover, has resented most violently on i a postcard my remarks of Monday on the I war-cry’ the New Zealanders gave. I do i not know whether the several other critics including a famous English captain, received I similar communications, but I fancy this nameless correspondent has taken my dsapproval too much to heart. War-cries or chants or dances we are unaccustomed to at Rugby matches over here, and we disapprove of them as much as we‘ did of the college yells of the Americans'. But the latter did not regard that as an insult to their race. Nor was any insult intended to the Maori race, but that does not alter our opinion one iota. A game of Rugby football is not a bloody battle. I read somewhere that the New Zealanders have decided to discontinue their performance, but whether it is true or not I am unaware.” I THE CASE FOR THE WING FORWARD. The assertion that the wing forward is ' against the spirit of the game is one that j will be vigorously challenged in this counj try, although it must be admitted at the I outset that where the wind forward plays j an obstructionist style of game, he is cerj tainly transgressing the spirit, and also the rules of the game. The greatest wing forward of modern times was G. Gillett, an • expert ball handler, great kick and back i feeder, but so biassed were many of the ■ English critics in 1905 that they very often 1 confused Gillett with Gallagher, and credit- ■ ed the former with all the tricks they alleged I Gallagher indulged. Much of the critic- ; ism of the wing forwards was, and still is, based on insufficient knowledge of the posi- ■ tion, and it was for this reason that experts in New Zealand who realised what was at stake in this respect on the present tour, pinned their hopes on Parker, to remove the misconception that exists in the Old Country as to this much criticised position. His brilliant game in the first international, i where he is referred to as probably the ' most brilliant player on the ground, is a ! matter for congratulation, and it is to be i hoped that he will carry on in the style of ; play that made G. Gillett, the greatest player of his time on the fringe of the scrum, and Southlander D. L. Baird, his successor in ■ later day football. The arguments about the New Zealanders changing their scrum i formation may be treated lightly, as it is not likely that a system which was evolved : at a time when football in the Antipodes was far more closely studied than it is to-day, and which has stood the test of time against the 3—2—3 systems in the , world, will be changed on the present tour. NEPIA AND WHITE. Two of the most played men in the present team are the meteoric Maori player, Nepia, and Southlander Son White. Nepia has played 13 games on end without a rest, a record equalled on the 1905 tour by Gil- . lett, who also figured at full back, as well as wing forward. Nepia’s amazing brilliancy at times is liable to get his side into trouble, as it did on the Australian tour, but the indications are that this player, who came with a rush into the All Blacks’ right at the eleventh hour, is making good, i and is playing a steadier style of the game :in a position where risks are not advisable. White, who bids fair to rank with Fred Roberts of the 1905 All Blacks, as the donkeyman of the present combination, has , been consistently good throughout the prei sent tour, and his selection against Ireland 1 was a well deserved Iribute to the veteran’s i ability. Nepia is only about nineteen years j of age, and is a product of that great train--1 ing ground of Maori footballers, Te Aute ; College. Originally a second five-eighth, he [ was tried out in the Te Mori Rose Bowl I match at Auckland early in the present season, and proved an instantaneous success. White, on the other hand, is with West, the veteran of the present side. He played very little football until his return from the war, when he played for the returned men against Southland, and after that never j looked back. In 1921 he played for New i Zealand,, and with the exception of brief i spells, has always been sure of his New , Zealand cap. A great, tigering forward, he [ makes up for his comparatively light weight as All Black forwards go, by that dogged- ' ness and sheer tenacity which has characteri ised some great “under-thirteen-stoners” of the past, amongst whom Rangi Wilson is i#n outstanding example. FORWARDS SETTLING DOWN. All tne indications point to the fact that the massive forwards of the present team j are settling down to their game, in which case the backs ought to soon be re-produc-ing the brilliancy w r hich was displayed in the trial games in New Zealand. A phrase used by a New Zealand football critic of days gone by in reference to one of the great teams of the nineties occurs to my mind as being particularly apropos of the present position “Methinks the forwards will be slow to move, but when they do, it will be like an avalanche.” The backs are on the small side, and will require more nursing than most previous teams that have gone overseas from Maoriland, which have generally been capable of working out their own destiny. OPINIONS ON THEIR PLAY. The Daily Express special commissioner says of the all Blacks:— “Strength and speed are the two outstanding characteristics of the New Zeai landers. Their forwards are tremendous [ men, and for all their bulk are fast and clever. Certain things they do, however, i judged on Saturday’s game, are not too I scrupulous, and altogether against our ideas lof what is fair, hard playing. Three forwards ; offended in this way against Devon, j “Their passing is really good —sure and i rapid, but it seems rather as though it is • all worked out to a pattern, calculated be- | forehand, and must go along definite lines. The attack never has the inspiration of a football genius. “Nepia, the Maori full-back, is the outstanding individual player of the side. He does the unexpected. “Individually, several of the Devon players were better than the All Blacks, and J. C. R. Buchanan, of Exeter, the Scottish International, was far and away the best forward on the field.” dem Lewis, the brilliant old Welsh player, observes:— “In the open these New Zealand forwards are of a rare excellence. They have splendid hands, good football intelligence, and remarkable agility. They are continually on their toes, and can side-step as well as any three-quarter. "WMe on this subject I will say that the whole team is wonderfully adept at this , sidestepping art. There is only one way ! lo stop this, and that it by a most thorI ough tackle. Our men will have to go low and go hard or they will be grasping 1 the air.”