Rugby Balls Are Being Punted All Year Round.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18009, 20 November 1926, Page 11

Rugby Balls Are Being Punted All Year Round.

THOUGH GAME IS OVER IN N.Z., ENGLISH CROWDS ARE GROWING EXCITED. CODE IS GAINING GROUND AT HOME, AND MANY PROMISING YOUNG PLAYERS ARE UP TO INTERNATIONAL CLASS.

(Written for the “Star” by J. R. WELFORD, First Fifteen, Christ's College, Cambridge, 1923-26, and Captain 1925-26.) THE invasion of England and France by the Maori football team is arousing great interest among New Zealand followers of the game. All the year round, interest in Rugby football never wanes. At the beginning of the New Zealand season there are the various exploits of club, province and national sides to follow. At the end of the season, enthusiasts turn their attention to the game in other countries. Just when New Zealand finishes, England begins her “ Rugger ” season. A few notes on English Rugger will perhaps not want for readers.

The result of the victorious All Black tour may possibly have left the impression that English football is weak. It is not so. Ever since the war, it has been getting stronger year by year. Although the results of the last year’s international table were not encouraging—England finishing second to last—it was not for lack of good material. There is any amount of'young stock to draw on, but the selectors did not seem able to choose the right team. The side which w-as fielded in the last international against Scotland was almost humorous if it had not been so tragic. The ranks of the team originally chosen were thinned by illness, and it appeared almost as though the selectors began to look blindly for substitutes. Thomas Devitt, a rattling good wing three-quarter, fell out, a man was put in apparently merely on his merits as a goal-keeper. His proper place was centre three-quar-ter; even there he was not up to international form. In doing this, the selectors passed over several whose performances during the season gave them better claims to the position. • DEPENDING ON VETERANS. It looks at present as though the selectors were content to rest on the veterans of many seasons, and retiring those whose names are names to conjure with; but with the passing of these, the younger generation will be given their chance, and they will not be found wanting. When judging the demerits of Rugby football at Home, it must never be forgotten that it is not the national game as it is out here. Till quite recently it was the game of only a section of the people, being carried on mainly by the products of the public schools and the universities.

Of late yean, Rugby has come into its own, and is no Longer the monopoly of the leisured classes. Association football still draws its thousands of spectators, but Rugby also now has a strong following. For the internationals, Twickenham is filled to overflowing, and many are turned away. WHAT COMBINATION DOES. Although New Zealand very properly takes great pride in the conquests of the last All Black tour at Home, it must be remembered that a side which has played together for a long time must develop into something of a machine, and defeat with ease a side which has not had the opportunity of learning each other’s play. It has been proved again and again that a mediocre side with combination can defeat a side the members of which may individually be better than the opposing side, but who have not played together before. The initial performances of the All Blacks at Home did not impress the critics too favourably. It was only after they had been playing for some weeks that they developed into the excellent side which they were to show themselves to be. The result would be more than interesting if an English team toured New Zealand.

Looking at the differences between New Zealand methods and English, there seems to be no doubt that the former are the better, and give more opportunities for bright football. The 2-3-2 scrum formation is infinitely superior to the 3-2-3, when both teams are playing the same formation. The scrum is a great deal more comfortable, and is not so apt to wheel at unexpected moments as the 3-2-3. When properly formed, the ball is not so likely to

hang fire in the scrum, but shoots out at once—or ought to I Nor is there so much chance of a " loose head.” Above all, each man has a place assigned to him and knows what is expected of him. In spite of what may be said to the contrary, it is of paramount importance for each man- to have his own position and to be there when a scrum is formed. This is, of course, possible in the 3-2-3 formation, but is not so often done, the formation does not demand it quite so much as the 2-3-2. But a scrum where each man is allowed to get down just where he likes is bound to get pushed by a scrum where every man is comfortable and knows his position, and consequently how to use his weight to the best advantage. WHICH SCRUM WINS? But when two first-class teams are matched, one using the 2-3-2 formation and one the 3-2-3 the New Zealand scrum does not seem to gain the advantage that one would expect. The weight of the extra man in the 3-2-3, if properly packed (and that can’t Joe emphasised too much) tells. The All Black forwards at Home seldom ran over the English forwards. It is only •when one has played in both formations that one realises the superiority of the 2-3-2 formation. Much has been said against the genuine wing forward* on the score that he stops the game being opened up. But the 3-2-3 formation has its equivalent to the wing forward as well as two, and sometimes three, rear forwards, whose duty it is to “ wing.” At Home it is the work of the scrum half to put the ball in, and he is closely marked by the opposing half. The result of this is that the half has to rush round and get the ball at the base of the scrum to fling it out to his backs. The attentions of the opposing half are every bit as troublesome as those of a New Zealand wing forward, or perhaps more so. If the new rules of the Welsh U nion make good they will do much to stop this abuse. The New Zealand system, by which the wing forward puts the ball in, gives the half much more time to get the ball away, also protects him, to a certain extent, from the opposing wing forTHE BACK DIVISION. The New Zealand arrangement of the back division would seem to offer more opportunities of better combination than the English. The position of the scrum half has been already noticed with its attendant disadvantages. The fly half corresponds almost exactly to the first five-eighths of New Zealand football. But there is reallv nothing which corresponds to the second fiveeighths. Instead of having the centre three-quarter they have two who alternately fulfil the duties of the second five-eighths. When the backs are lined out to the right of the scrum, then the left centre stands in the position of second five-eighths; when they are on the left the opposite takes place. This has obvious disadvantages. There is no rule about kicking into touch at Home. One can find the line whenever one -wants to. Unlike most people, the present writer does not believe there is much gained by penalising touch-finding. Good sides seldom waste time and energy finding touch unless necessary—which is seldom, except on defence. One does not notice any great difference in making the game faster when touch finding except in one’s own twenty-five is penalised. There are manv slight differences between English and New Zealand methods of Rugbv football, but the main thing is that both countries should play the greatest game in the world in the right spirit.