What Rugby Lacks.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20330, 13 June 1934, Page 6

What Rugby Lacks.

Dear Sir, —Is Rugby to-day dull and uninteresting 5 I think it is and so do many more, but here is the view of a real authority’, Harry Roberts, half-back of the 1886 Wellington team. He said the other day*, according to a clipping sent me:— “ I consider the 1888 English team the strongest and cleverest side which the Old Country has ever sent to the Dominion. The Englishmen taught us how lo a scrum. I also learned from Haslarn. one of the English backs, how to feint to pass. It is now called 4 selling the but in my day we called it ' feinting ’ The English team also taught us how to control the ball while dribbling. “ You often hear how scientific the game has become in modern times, but I do not consider the present-day players know as much about the game as we did How often do >’ou see a scrum screwed to-day’? Dribbling is a lost art, and you rarely see forwards to-dav who can control the ball in dribbling rushes. We always played to a set plan, which is a great deal more than many present-day fifteens do.”—l am. etc.. SIDELINE.