BIG RUGBY TEST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 13, 16 January 1932, Page 4

BIG RUGBY TEST

SCOTLAND v. SPRINGBOKS TO-DAY AT EDINBURGH STERN TUSSLE CERTAIN (By “Cross-Bar.”) The last match of the Springboks’ Rugby tour of Great Britain will be played to-day—a test against the pick of Scotland. Judged on previous matches played in the Land o’ the Heather by the South Africans this contest will be hard, and honours are just as likely to rest with one side as the other. Scotland, Knowing full well the real strength of the South African vanguard, will endeavour to field a pack that will effectively hold its own in this phase of the game. At Melrose on the last day of October, the Scottish Borderers held the South Africans to a scoreless draw. A glorious display by the home forwards kept the visitors at bay. This match was the first of the tour in which the Springboks failed to register a victory. At Glasgow a few days previously a Glasgow fifteen was beaten 21 points to 13. This was a match in which the South Africans were fully tested. Analysing the play “Touch Ju>ge,” the Rugby writer of the Glasgow Bulletin, has this to say* about the peculiar serum formation of the Springboks—3, 4, 1: “The scrum formation —3,4,1, —was of more than passing interest. Most people will agree that J. B. Nelson (Glasgow) had a poor game. I think most of his trouble can be traced to the unusual manner of packing. Primarily, it seems to me to be ideal for puproses of defence. “If the ball is not hooked both flank men break at once and travel up the fringe of the scrum. This prevents the break through. Mark well, also, this fact. The distance to travel is much less than it is in our three-two-three formation. Apart from this, and the fact that there is less likelihood of ragged heeling when only two rows of feet have to be passed through, there was not a great deal to commend it. Exception there must be. On a hard ground, when the ball is dry, as was the case at Old Anniesland yesterday, it has merit, but it would be quite a different matter if wheeling and dribbling had to be practised on a muddy ground with a wet ball. In such a case there would always be the danger of losing control 'if it were practised and conceivably bringing defeat.” Under a caption of “■ Springboks Disappoint,” “Norloch,” another writer in the same paper, says that Scotland got one or two distinct pointers from the game. The first and chief one was that the Springboks did not like the traditional Scottish forward game any more than did their predecessors. Their forwards may have been bigger and heavier men," but the writer had no hesitation in saying that a Scottish pack, using their feet and keeping the ball on the ground, would defeat the Springboks every time. Behind the scrum it was essential for Scotland to have two things —thrust in the centre and pace on the wings. Given these things, “Norloch” thought that Scotland could look forward to the test of to-day with confidence. This same writer, commenting on the match against the Borderers at Melrose (a scoreless draw), said much the same thing. What Scotland wanted to win the test, he said, was a pack built on the same lines as that which held the visitors at Melrose, penetrative centres who will run straight and hard and fast wings. At Murrayfield. To-day’s test is to be played at Murrayfield, a ground comparable only to the famous Mecca of football—Twickenham. At Murrayfield there is accommodation for 75,000 people aud it may be taken for granted that an international match of the calibre of that being played to-day will draw a capacity crowd. This ground was taxed to the utmost when Scotland won the Calcutta Cup from England three years ago. Sobey and Spong played in the English team for that match and behind the pack Scotland fielded W. M. Simmers and J. B. Nelson. This pair will probably appear against the Springboks today. J. B. Nelson played against them in Glasgow, but Simmers was not available. The result of this match will be awaited with much interest in New Zealand, and the following record of previous South Africa v. Scotland contests is worthy of note—November 17, 1906, played at Glasgow, Scotland winning by six points to nil; November 23, 1912, played at Edinburgh, South Africa winning by 16 points to nil. New Zealand has played only one match against Scotland. That was at Edinburgh, on November 18, 1905, the A.ll Blacks being victorious by 12 points to 7. When the 1924-25 All Blacks went Home their itinerary did not extend to Scotland.

LARGE RUGBY GROUND TWICKENHAM IMPROVEMENTS The famous Twickenham ground in England is now the “last word” of the Rugby Union so far as accommodating the public is concerned. There are 2°7,000 seats under cover, 5000 round the “ropes,” and standing room for 40,000, making a total capacity of 72,000, a record for any Rugby ground in the world. It is the proud boast of the Rugby Union that the whole field of play is visible from every part of the enclosure open to the public. They will all be’able to see. In place of the old clock tower, which was demolished a year or two ago, there are now two clocks, one on the front of the north stand and the other hanging from the southern corner of the east stand. Everyone will thus be able to see the time and everyone will be able to follow the score, as score boards have been erected in front of both the east and west stands.