RESHUFFLE NEEDED IN SOUTHLAND BACKS

Southland Times, Issue 23586, 13 August 1938, Page 15

RESHUFFLE NEEDED IN SOUTHLAND BACKS

Selectors Have Opportunities To Experiment Before Shield Match

By

ONLOOKER

Now that there is a good possibility of the Southland-Otago return game at Dunedin being a Ranfurly Shield challenge game, interest in the Southland team which suffered a temporary setback after the shield match at Invercargill is certain to be revived. Already there is talk of a counter “invasion,” and amateur selectors are busy naming the team which is likely to be fielded at Dunedin.

It seems superfluous to say that the selectors of the Southland team and the coach will not let up in their efr forts to prepare the best team in the province for games ahead. There are three representative games to be played before Southland goes to Dunedin to play Otago, and full advantage should be taken of these matches to try out players who have been under consideration for representative honours. In two games the Southland team has shown that its backs have not made the grade in inter-provincial Rugby. Two combinations have been tried and both have failed. Why then persevere with some of those whose form is known not to be good? It is probable that the selectors will make changes for the next game, against South Canterbury next Saturday. At present their intention is not known and because of that the suggestion is made that another rearrangement of the back division be made. In addition to introducing new blood a reshuffle of some of the backs likely to hold their places in the team might be made successfully. Players who already have not been tried out include R. Gibb (Central), emergency back in the Canterbury game, A. McCaughan, Eastern threequarter, and L. M. Uttley, Star inside back. Gibb showed in both the TownCountry trial and Otago-Southland Sub-Union games that he is a likely type of scoring three-quarter. He has more pace than most of the wings playing in Southland and he is a good handler. His dash in the two games mentioned was commendable. McCaughan is another with plenty oi dash and speed. His work in the trial and the Sub-Unions’ match was good, and it was not difficult to see that in good company, or better company than that in which he has been used to playing, he should do well. L. M. Uttley would appear to be the Cinderella of Southland representative Rugby. He has been forgotten for two seasons. Two years ago when little more than a youth Uttley was included in the Southland team. One of his displays, against South Canterbury at Invercargill, was highly praised at the time, but for some reason or other he was omitted from Southland teams later that season. One of the reasons given was that he was too small to be a successful threequarter. Last season his form apparently did not warrant the selectors giving the opportunity to get experience on a northern tour. Had he been taken on that tour it is probable that he would have been one of Southland s best backs. That is conjecture, but even if his form was not up to standdard last season, he still may have been worthy of a place in a team, many of the plavers of which were being educated in representative match Rugby. This season Uttley began as a halfback in the Star team. He was in a team whose type of Rugby would not show up a player of his capabilities. Late in the club season, however, he showed a return to form and eventually was included in the big number of players who were chosen for special representative practice. Uttley is the type of player the Southland team could well do with today. He is an experienced footballer, is more robust than he was two sons ago, and judged on some of his games for Star this season is a clever player. There is no need to look for a place in the three-quarter line for him. His place is in the five-eighths line where he can do the work for which he is fitted. He is worth a trial, particularly as the weakness of the Southland team is not so much the slowness of the three-quarter line as the inability of the inside backs to combine. The following back-line might be worth a trial: FULL-BACK: J. Ballantyne. THREE-QUARTERS: R. Gibb, A. G. Sutherland or W. Morrison, A. McCaughan. FIVE-EIGHTHS: L. M. Uttley (first), P. Grace (second). HALF-BACK: J. Purdue or T. Mackie. In this team Grace has been moved from first to second five-eighths to relieve him of the responsibility of the important key position. He has plenty of ability, but at present tends to individualism. With room to work in he should prove adept at making openings for the three-quarters. The second five-eighths position also would give him room to do some judicious line-kicking. Some of our inside backs seem to have forgotten what the old kick-into-touch rule can give them. Clever working of the line won many games in the past and, incidentally, it played a big part in the win which gave Wellington the Ranfurly Shield (against Southland at Invercargill) in 1930.

remember with regret the days when the spectators followed the game up and down the touch-lines and there is no denying the enthusiasm they instilled into their players. FINALITY IN SCRUMMAGING

The interminable number of scrums might have had a slowing-up effect and to me there seems no good reason why finality in scrummaging should be such a tedious process. I have the latest rules and would certainly say that there is nothing to prevent a referee ruling that a ball should go only once into a scrum for finality to that particular infringement. The only, exception which provides for another “put in” is when a ball goes right through, which is seldom. Then again, the international rules allow teams not able to penetrate by means of in-field play to use the sidelines to gain or hold territory which means a lot more line-outs and they usually end in the whistle for a set scrum. I am afraid that many games such as this will see Rugby losing a lot of patronage. Ballantyne played an excellent game at full-back, but could take a leaf out of Nolan’s book when it comes to stopping a rush. The Canterbury man, like George Nepia, goes up fast and low to meet it, surprising the opposition while it is trying to manoeuvre for position. Morrison had a strong opponent in Hadlee and got no chance to settle down at centre—a position new to him. When he changed with Miles after the interval he still failed to impress me. Nolan’s display for Canterbury was the highlight of the match. He and Hadlee were the only ones who looked like the Canterbury backs we have

been used to. Hay and Foley were the outstanding forwards. The former All Black, Rankin, was never prominent. Graham and Crawford were going the whole 80 minutes for Southland. The others should follow their example, for it was noticeable that in the four halves played in these two games the vanguard failed to hold the opposition for the last quarter. A correspondent “Side-line,” suggests alterations by playing Grace at centre and Purdue first five-eighths, and invites my comment. Though I feel sure both would creditably fill the places, why disturb a combination which is giving good service and will weld, with a little more experience, into one of the best connecting links in any provincial team?

STANDING TOO DEEP

Grace at present is standing too deep and does not vary the angle of his run enough. An occasional thrust towards the defending second five-eighths would be a variation which might cause two opponents to concentrate on him and give the overlap to his own outside men. His long stride is not hindering him as much as the extra distance he has to go to get into enemy territory. Again, when a fast defence is coming at him, as ‘in the Otago game, I would advise him and the second fiveeighths to take up positions on opposite sides of the scrum to divide the defence. There is no risk; even if he stands on the short side he can still attempt a preconceived run on the open, and it provides variety, the very essence of successful attack. The blind-side attack as worked with Purdue is not snappy enough to surprise the defenders. Grace should really come from the open side to receive a direct pass from the half, not a pass for which Purdue has to pivot round and pass reverse fashion with his back to the oncoming breakaways. I take it that they both know what is going to be attempted from every ball from a set scrum. The concentrated thought of this pair should be to connect as fast as possible with any extra speed outside them or, failing that extra pace, to secure the odd man or an overlap which will give the outsides a chance to take and give a pass. A fatal weakness in our back attack at present is the wide space between first and second five-eighths. It is a tremendous strain on the first fiveeighths in trying to link up. Playing with Hunter, the great corkscrew runner of the 1905 team, we played so close together that he would accept my pass from the half as easy as I could and the same applies to Cooke and Nicholls of a decade ago. Nicholls and I had great opportunists outside us and it was our business to give them the chances to fit their special abilities into the general rhythm of the play. I write these notes in the firm conviction that position is more vital than many players imagine. I see no reason to tinker with the team. We have only had one try scored against us and though we have yet to cross the line it is mainly for the reasons I have attempted to point out. I would like to see Beal and Mahoney in the team and Miles could then go on the wing. The three-quarter line would be interchangeable. It was quite the usual thing one time to change places now and again and I cannot see why it is not done now.