“KICK TO GAIN GROUND; RUN TO SCORE TRIES.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 21 (Supplement)

“KICK TO GAIN GROUND; RUN TO SCORE TRIES.”

Smart Chain Passing to Fast Wing Three-quarters is Important in Rugby. (Written by All Black, 1928, for the “ Starry (No. 8.) BECAUSE of the more open field the backs, particularly the wing three-quarters, have the greatest chance of scoring tries. For this reason a good pack of forwards will heel the ball from the scrums in order that the fast wing should be given a change of scoring. Of course, it has happened that a team has consisted of eight forwards and no one else of much importance. Heeling in such cases was to ask for trouble, so the play was retained as long as possible by the forwards with the hope of scoring by means of short passing rushes among themselves or by well-controlled dribbling rushes. But with any well-balanced team the greater proportion of the attack will be made through the players specially chosen for that purpose—the three-quarters.

But no side hopes to have control of the ball all through the game. The other side, in their turn, will attack through their backs, and the side once on the attack will now have to be on the defensive. Therefore any player worthy of the name, if he is going to play anywhere in the backs, must be a master of attack and defence. In fact, he must be the complete footballer, able to run, field, kick, and pass the ball, tackle and stop rushes. Just what position a player should have on the field varies according to his natural abilities. Certain positions require'special qualifications. The halfback must be a very sound player who is able to get the ball away from the scrum without any loss of time; the five-eighth must be a clever player, “ able to make an opening ” —in fact, he is the key to the attack; the centre must be a good all-round footballer, steady and reliable; the wing must be able to score tries. All those players are supposed to be good on attack or defence, but the only back whose work is almost purely defensive is the fullback. Defence must be his strong point. Although special positions require special qualifications, it is just as well that a back should be able to play in any position on the ball. He may not be a great success everywhere, but the experience so gained will be invaluable. The wing, knowing the troubles of the five-eighths, will be less inclined to be impatient should the passing rushes break down. Furthermore, should any player be injured the whole back line may have to be reconstructed, and that i? not possible if the players cannot adapt themselves to the different positions. Such shifting of position has been known to show a back the position for which he is most suited. Cliff Porter played five-eighth for Wellington before he played wing forward. Cuthill, of Otago, the discontinuance of whose football owing to war injuries, was New Zealand football’s greatest loss, played as a forward, then as a fiveeighth, and finally as New Zealand’s full-back in 1914. The Golden Rule. In actual play the best rule which a back can follow is the one given by T. Ellison: “ Kick to gain ground, run to score tries.” Running to score requires the ability to give and take a pass, and the knowledge of when to pass. Given these qualifications, the back line should, for the purpose of attack, show an increase of pace man to man from the half-back and wing threequarter. This is essential. The New Zealand team in South Africa did not have it, and if Grenside had had that speed which a good wing should have the third test would have been won, not lost. Grenside had a clear run, but did not have the pace to cross the line., The international teams in Great Britain may not have such clever inside backs as New Zealand, but the wings have more speed. The pace of Gibbs in the game against England in 1925 was always a menace to New Zealand, just as that of Reeve was in 1930, or that of lan Smith is to those who play against Scotland to-day. If there must be an increase of pace from the scrum out, there must also be

greater speed off the mark the closer the player is to the scrum. Half-backs and first five-eighths in particular must be quick off the mark. No back play is possible unless the ball can be well away from the rea\h of fast-breaking forwards hoping to stop the passing rush before jt is under way. Once the passing rush is started by the half-back the idea is that the attack should pass beyond the imaginary line between the two scrums. If the attacking side can pass the line befoie the defence, it has outflanked them and can often run past with the greatest of ease. The advantage of “ getting there first ” is most particularly noticeable by the time the ball reaches the wing three-quarter. Diagram C illustrates this quite clearly.

This idea of gaining ground and out flanking or overlapping the other side should be the plan of any team whose attack is based on plain chain pass ing to the fast wing three-quarters The writer saw it most clearly or every occasion that he saw Aucklanc play. Whenever the Auckland attacl came up swiftly and gained ground the chances were that Minns, their fas wing, now at Oxford University, hac outflanked the opposing wing and wa: able to run round him without havinj to use either fend or swerve. Tha was unnecessary, for the opposition Wa, outflanked. English, Scottish and South Africar teams whose attack is so often directec for the advantage of fast wings, full] appreciate this point. Understanding of this fact will explain why Reeve the English wing, was able to run pas some of our wings so easily. Another advantage is that shoul< a back be tackled with the ball afte he has gained ground, his own forwards breaking from the scrum, can sooi come up on the run and carry on th attack without stopping. The rush i not stopped, the momentum is no lost. The defending for Wards, on the othe hand, must run back, stop the rush turn, and begin to push back. Ver often they cannot stop the rush ani their strength is wasted. This attack through chain passinj to the wings is the fundamental prir ciple upon which is based all passinj by the backs. Until a team can carr; out a concerted passing rush from hali back to the wings, no other play i possible. When that is mastered othe plans can be applied so that the three quarters can be given a chance to score This idea of giving or making ; chance to score is known in New Zea land as “ making an opening.” It par ticularly applies to the five-eighths o centre, and will be explained in thi next article. (To be continued.)