DR M'EVEDY'S OPINIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9253, 4 June 1908, Page 1

DR M'EVEDY'S OPINIONS.

HIS VIEWS ON NEW ZEALAND / REFEREES. Interviewed after the game, Dr M'Evedy, acting-captain of the visiting team, said : " The first impression I have formed of to-day's play is that the Southland men played cleaner football than any team we have met to date. This impression is with me a very strong one. Neither our men nor Southland made use of any ultravigoroiis play, and the game, hard as it was, has proved conclusively that our grand winter game can be played successfully without resorting to such methods. I attribute our win merely to our forwards being able to take sufficient command of the game to let our backs get going. Our success in scrums is partly traceable to our three-in-front formation, but more to the' fact that the heavier pack is able to get the first shove on every time. As to the control of the game by Mr J. Duncan I am particularly well pleased. His refereeing was absolutely Bplendid. He gave a large number ot free-kicks against us, but was at all times very fair. His ruling that the ball must go fairly into the scrum past the outside feet is a sound one, and if it were adopted and enforced by all referees it would stop a lot of tumbling and fighting on the side of the scrum. There are differences between the interpretation of the off-6ide rule here and in England. At Home if a man took a pass off-side the mere throw forward is considered to be the first offence, and unless a man who takes a pass is standing intentionally offside the penalty, is only a scrum, not a free-kick. Also they are not so strict, in England about the ten yards rule. As long as a man off-side does not interfere with a man who (receives the ball no! serious penalty is inflicted. New Zealand Teferees act strictly according to the letter of the law, probably rightly from their own point of view, but a, little more latitude would be beneficial in the general interests of an attractive game." Asked to compare the present British team with that of 1904, Dr M'Evedy stated that Sivright's team had .one or two faster backs 3 but i forward he thought the present combination a better side.