RUGBY REFLECTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12906, 19 February 1906, Page 3

RUGBY REFLECTIONS.

THE NEW ZEALAND TOUR AND ITS LESSON. (Loudon Paper.) " Let -us ponder our rudiments," is a phrase most apt to-day, for the great lesson of tiie New Zealand tour, so far as English Rugby is concerned, ir contained in those nve words. ' For the past seven or eight years Eng- . Rugby players have paid more attention to the secondary than to the primary principles of the game. They have been the slaves of a system which they have never mastered, aixl which they never ■will master. simply because circumstances and the English temperament have forbidden, arid will continue to forbid, such masters*. The New Zealanders in all their matches nave played a game that was stronglv reminiscent, of the game .which England used to play in the davs of her freedom before yet she had fallen, into Welsh bondage.

The New Zealand game is based on first principles: so was the old English game. The function of the forwards up. to a certain point is perhaps more ministerial in the New Zealand game, than it was in England's old game, but once the ball is out the only difference between the two styles is to be found in the fact that the New Zealand forwards handle the ball rather more than the English forwards did in the palmy days of English footer—the eighties. For the rest the New Zealand game recalls the '' mixed " English game of the eighties—a game that encouraged individuality, tabooed passine for passing's sake, made for team combination! opportunism, resolution in running, and, in a word, was based on first principles. That is why I say: " Let us ponder our rudiments" is the chief lesson of the New Zealand tour. ■

The success of the New Zealanders "was not due to their being a scientific side in the sense that one would apply the phrase to a highly-drilled Wslsh side. Their success was due to strength, stamina, and speed; to their adherence to first principles, and to the sustained and splendid expression of those principles which the three qualities enumerated enabled them to give in game after game. The only novel feature of their play was their scrum formation. In my first article of the present season I pointed out that <the only modification in method which the tour would probably effect would be in our scrum work. This prediction has been fulfilled, even though " how to scrummage " is not the lesson of the tour. We had forgotten our rudiments in our slavish attempts to master, the Welsh svstem. The tour, has reminded us in rude and painful, but very convincing fashion, of the value of backing up, of Tesolute running, of opportunism and the folly of passing for passing's sake. It. has* reminded us of the value of team-combina-tion in defence and attapk, and has proved 1 to. the hilt that the function' of forwards should cease to be ministerial the moment the hall is out. In a word, the tour I has reminded us that we must go back i to first principles. In its physical aspects the game of the New Zealanders was splendidly exhilarating. Their restless energy, dash, go, daring, speed and resolution, all thrilled the nerves and compelled admiration, yet the pleasure of watching them play was marred by the instant suggestion of a different ethical idea from our own which many of their methods irresistibly conveyed. The greatness of truth has drawn from me more than one expression of disapproval when dealing with the New Zealand matches. I have described them as a side who habitually threw the whole moral burden of the game on the referee, and had schooled themselves into an unconscionable adherence to the principle of "playing to the whistle." I have mentioned the matter, however, merely to show that the ethical idea oS the New Zealanders differs from our own. This position is emphasised by the mere existence of that ex officio sinner against the rules, the wing-forward. If Gallaher be the fairest wing-forward in New Zealand, what,- in the- name of the law, must the'' .others he like? I care nothing in this .-connection for the necessarily guarded and far from sincere expressions of opinion given by players, officials and certain referees of the indifferent type. These opinions are, as I have said, not- sincere as given: for publication. Igo by the evidence of my own eyes, and from my own knowledge cf the rules, and can afford, therefore, to ignore insincere and politic expressions of opinion. The wing-forward is. I maintain, a constant challenge to the whistle, and the only referees who have done him justice were W. Williams in the Surrey' match, -and. in a much lesser degree, J. D. Dallas in the game with Wales.