FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8140, 16 May 1906, Page 3

FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND.

RECENT TOUR OP THE ALL BLACKS. LESSONS QUICKLY FORGOTTEN. LONDON, March 30. Mr H. Alexander, the well-known authority on football, has a good deal to say about English Rugby football. Be takes a distinctly pessimistic view as may be judged from • the headings he has chosen for his article, viz: "Short-lived enthusiasm," "'All Blaak'lessons quickly forgotten," "British Rugbyites back in the old groove." fle says:—"Now that the Rugby season is nearly over, we may take a general view of the progress of the game through the past six months, and see to what extent the visit of the New Zealanders has left its mark. It mußt frankly be admiited that, whereas at the height of Iheir career, the flattery was sincere enough to produce a certain amount of imitation, all four countries have, now discarded the innovations and returned to the old style. More than that, there has been a very distinct improvement in the play of at least England and Ireland, since they again adoptod the game with whioh they are familiar, and It cannot be, said that the display of Wales at Richmond was such as to inspire one with an great confidence in their prowess under the new system." "The whole case seems to me to have been made to centre in a point ' whiob was wrongly accorded the chief place. The discussion as to the rival merits of the New Zealand and English formations gradually drifted into one of the advisability of playing Beven or eight forwards, and little or no heed was paid to the placing of the rest of the field. Experience in thisi as in many other things, has, shown us that* a half,imitation, whoso offspring la a fee He hybrid, can avail nothing. No team that 1 know of, certainly no first class team for any length of time, has adopted a rat-and branch policy, and gone in for the New Zeaalnders' game in its entirety; yet, so dependent is their machinery as a whole on its component parts, tnat this half-imitaiion was not likely *o be more satisfaotory than vfrould be the'experiment of fitting the engines of a motor car in a railway locomotive. We may set aside the arrangement of seven forwards and eight hacks.gfor purely defensive purposes; as a measure only resorted to in oases of extreme need, for no team would be worth its salt whioh always took the field ' in a defensive mood. "The New Zealanders found that \ Cy increasing the number of becks and placing them intelligently they could viry their attack more readily, and were often enabled to leave their opponents completely in the dark as to tire tide from which'danger was to bo expected. They found that their attacking strength, and consequently their try-getting and match-winning strength, lay with their backs, and accordingly developed a game which was to give them increased opportunities. , But in order to put the reduced number of forwards on more equal terms with their opponents they realised that that rieoartmeut of the game must also undergo alterations, or at any rate modifications. Their forwards were now to be heelingmaohine, quite subservient to the backs, and in order to attain their object more than ordinary ekill in Becuring and heeling the ball was necessary. Hence came the hookers, the lock, and the appointed place in the* sornm, Bnd,' with these, increased efficiency in these several departments. "To make the most of the eight backs,, and to avoid crowding, the two five-eighths and three-quarters dame iuto being, and this arrange- ' ment of the outsides, with the one half and wing-forward, is tbo strength of the formation, of whioh the seven forwards is only a corollary. It will be Been from this that to play an extra back in a more or less indefinite position, and to leave the seven forwards to muddle along as best they may, is a form pfimi- , tatlon, whoh is bat ill-calculated to strengthen the attack of a team. Nevertheless, this is what was done in every case by the Home clubs, even when they professed to be making the alterations with a view to' improved attack, and not defence only. The net result of the whole experiment has been a complete and unqualified return to the old order of things, which is the result best calculated to < please most of both past and present Rugby enthusiasts. It may be mere conservatism, but expressions of approval at good old forward game played between Waleß and Ireland were beard on every hand, and whatever the attractions a game confined to the hacks may have for the initiated, there will always be a large —T hope predominant —section which will appreciate good forward play and a good forward game. Such n game is by no means void of interesting play among the backs, but entails nearobing for opportunities on their part, instead of having every chance put in their hands by the forwards " In conolaaion, Mr Alexander re-marks:-—"What is abundantly evident is that if the outsides are to have it all their own way, and the forwards to be quite subaidary to them, the thing must be done in no half-hearted manner,,and something much more like the New s Zealanders' game in its completeness muafc be learned and perfected by the team which hopes to profit by this style of play."