RUGBY

Southland Times, Issue 22728, 2 November 1935, Page 15

RUGBY

THE ALL BLACKS RESUMEOF FORM INTERPRETATION OF RULES ALL BLACKS PUZZLED.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Further reports of the doings of the All Blacks have reached New Zealand by air mail. In the following article, by the New Zealand Sportsman’s representative travelling with the team, some light is thrown on the mediocre displays of the New Zealanders, and interesting impression's of the players are detailed. London, October 6. Following their defeat at the hands of Swansea, manager V. R. Meredith had a long conference with Manchester. No information could be gleaned as to what happened at that conference, but from indications at subsequent practices it became apparent that ideas about forward play had been reconstructed. I had an interesting conversation with one of the All Black forwards following the Swansea game and from that conversation I gleaned the knowledge that forward play in New Zealand and forward play over here are two different things. My colonial friend led me to understand that the New Zealand forwards were still considered to be good, but that they had to alter their style of scrummaging and that an improvement could be looked for as the tour progressed. Eliminating Scrum Weaknesses.

The New Zealanders have been nonplussed at the interpretation of the rules over here and that has had some effect on their forward play. In addition the visitors now realize that the real weakness in their forward play has been in the locking of the scrummages. New Zealanders apparently have a far different conception of what is required of a lock forward than is fundamentally sound. All the forward weaknesses are slowly, but surely, being eliminated, but it strikes the English observer that the team is very slow in learning its lessons. Six matches had been played at the time of writing and from the first match it was glaringly apparent that until the All Blacks reconstructed their ideas of forward play, particularly in the scrummaging, they would not be able to make the best use of their backs. In the first thiee matches of the tour the scrummaging was very weak and the visitors appeared to adopt the pigheaded attitude that they could do no wrong. It was not until the defeat at the hands of Swansea, the fifth game of the tour that New Zealand reconstructed her views. hi both forward and back positions players were fielded out of position—at least that is very clearly indicated by comparing positions with the positions played during the trial games in New Zealand. It is also- indicated in conversations with some of the fine fellows who comprise the All Black touring party. Might Yet Prove Great Side. But it must be made very clear here that the 1935 New Zealand team is by no means a bad combination. . Time will tell and while it is at present indicated that the team will yet suffer further reverses and many hard games before they line out a; Twickenham for the last game of the tour on January 4, there is also always the possibility that they will go on to success after success as did the 1924 team. Our friends from the other side of the world are certainly having all the bad luck that is going. The loss of key men like Hadley and Page and the fact that some of the players are not yet ready to show their best has made the tour more and more difficult, but after all an international party of 29 should include enough men to make a first-class fifteen for every match in spite of injuries. Still great burdens have been put on some of the players, especially Gilbert, Oliver, Hart, Lambourn and King. In the backs some of the players have not yet struck form. Brown, a wing-three-quarter, whose brothel’ was with us in 1924, and Solomon have not yet proved to be up to the standard of the remaining players, while in the forwards the loss of Hadley has been serious, while Collins, Wynyard, Best and Reid have not yet shown that form they are known to be capable of. Once the team can get over the troubles with injured players and once some of these already mentioned strike their best form British teams may be in for surprises. Mitchell Most Improved Player. In recent outings a player who has made a decided impression is Griffiths. A feature of Griffiths’s play has been his defence, but he has also shown marked ability on attack and next to Page his form as fly-half has indicated great possibilities. It was without doubt a great surprise when Griffiths was stood down against Swansea. He has played far more impressively than Tindill and he has set his backs going in most impressive style. Griffiths is improving with every game and he may be hard to keep out of the international games by the middle of November. Since the opening game of the tour Gilbert has not shown up so favourably. His fielding has always been good, but his kicking has been erratic and he has not done well against forward sorties. The plain fact is that with five matches completed Gilbert’s form is not as good as at the opening of the tour. Of course, he has been hampered with a leg injury. Mitchell has improved in every game —in fact he is the most improved player in the whole team and at this stage he looks certain to play in the internationals along with Hart and Oliver. Mitchell was seen at his best against Swansea when he did his own job as well as that of Solomon at fullback. Oliver has been playing great football in all the games in which he has

participated. If anything happens to him it will be a tragedy for New Zealand. Sadler and Corner. Caughey is not in Oliver’s class as a centre back, although he shows brilliance on attack. At the same time Caughey has made a success oi ms position as a link between the halves and the threequarter line. Still no comparison has been available with other players yet as Caughey has monopolized this position. Solomon took Caughey’s place in the second spell against Swansea, but he did not seem to have the right idea of what was required of him. Whenever he did make an opening he isolated himself from his supports. Page has shown marked brilliance in his games but for an inclination to become isolated. Tindill has played in the games in which the New Zealand half has been harassed and it would be unfair to pass complete judgment on him yet. While both scrum halves, Corner and Sadler, are serviceable, neither is as good as Mill or Dailey of 1924. Sadler has impressed as the more versatile of the pair, but it must be said that neither player has had the opportunity of showing brillance on attack through the scarcity of the ball. Sadler, however, makes play a great deal better than does Corner. King has stood out as the best forward so far during the tour. From his first match he has been a tower of strength to New Zealand. Manchester has played some great games and is a fine pack leader, but he shows tardiness in rectifying weaknesses m the team play revealed during matches. The Forwards. , A case in point was the Swansea match when Manchester waited till half-time before he changed the back formation. Had he made the change in the first fifteen minutes Swansea might have been kept down to two or even one try. At the same time one gathers that Manchester does not have to shoulder all the intricacies of responsible captaincy. More’s the pity if such is actually the case. Reid is taking time to settle down, but he does not appeal greatly as a lock forward. Collins and Best are taking time to settle down and King has to shoulder the responsibility as the only lock forward showing his best. McLean came to England with a reputation as a maker of play, but he has not yet revealed any outstanding qualities as the last forward down. At times he has looked ludricrous in scrummages bdt there is no doubt, about his ability otherwise. McLean would probably play a lot better’ on the side of the scrum with Manchester. McKenzie is a powerful packman and he is developing into one of the best forwards in the team. McKenzie has a great asset in his speed in the open and he is a player who will have to enter serious discussion for the internationals. GLASGOW AND ALDERSHOT SECOND GAME IN SCOTLAND. The All Blacks’ second ( match in Scotland (the tenth of the tour) did not impress the Clydesiders as a match to “write home about”—that is as far as the display of the visitors was concerned. New Zealand’s score, an unconverted try by Solomon and two penalty goals by Gilbert (nine points) was just a penalty goal better than the Scotsmen’s one penalty goal and a converted try (eight points). The game was a little more sparkling than the previous one at Hawick, with the locals more outstanding than their over-estimated opponents. As at Hawick, it was a penalty goal by Gilbert which saved the All Blacks from defeat. Such narrow margins, possible only by their opponents’ mistakes, bring no lustre for the reputation of the victors. The tourists will have to improve considerably if they wish to win the first test, that against Scotland on November 23, writes the New Zealand Sportsman’s representative with the team. Combined Services Game.

In the eleventh match (against Combined Services at Aidershot), the New Zealanders emerged victors again by a single point (6—5). However, half of their opponents were men of international repute and they made up a formidable combination; and the fact that they could cross the visitors’ line only once indicates that the tourists put up a solid defence with Gilbert outstanding. One great tackle by the full-back staved off a certain score. McKenzie, Best and Hadley were incessant toilers among the forwards. Tindill, playing his fourth game of the tour, was prominent at times, but saw little of the Lail through the local forwards frequently overwhelming Corner whose half-back play was hampered in consequence. Press Ridicule.

Taken all round, the All Blacks did nothing startling, but for all that they scarcely deserved the sarcasm of the newspapers, many of which could see no merit in the side at all. Ridicule also came'from a section of the spectators, but the fact remains that the New Zealenders won by two unconverted tries to one converted, against very determined opposition, and it was a clean-cut decision.

It must be remembered that the British team which toured New Zealand in 1930 won 15 out of 21 matches and football at Home has markedly improved since then. One must be fair and admit that the 1935 wearers of the silver fern are meeting more finished players than their predecessors had to face and that runaway victories can neither be expected nor desired.