RUGBY FOOTBALL

Southland Times, Issue 23767, 15 March 1939, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Long Pass From Scrum Discussed RECOMMENDATION BY N. A. MITCHELL (Special to The Times) DUNEDIN, March 15. Whether a long pass from the scrum would be advantageous to Rugby football in Otago was briefly discussed at the annual meeting tonight of the Southern Club, the premier club in Dunedin, when a copy of a letter from N. A. Mitchell, forwarded through the Otago Union from the New Zealand Rugby Union, was read to the meeting. In it Mitchell urged that clubs should use every endeavour to develop the long pass from the scrum. Mr E. G. Prebble said that provided the forwards gave their backs the ball a short pass from the scrum was just as efficacious as a long one. Mr W. Pearson said that Mitchell’s sole aim was the betterment of football. While he agreed to a certain extent with Mitchell, he considered that altered heeling from the scrum was more important than the long pass. He thought, however, that if the long pass were to be advantageous to Rugby football it might be given a trial.

Mr V. G. Cavanagh, jun., said he thought that the matter might be left to the discretion of the coaches. In the meantime he would move: "That the delegates first hear the discussion on the proposal at the annual meeting of the Otago Union." The motion was carried.