THE WORLD OF SPORT

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17131, 18 June 1927, Page 21 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF SPORT

RUGBY. — (Continued.) four corners of the Dominion and placed' under the care of Jimmy Duncan, the old Kaikorai (Otago) player; and I say without hesitation that it was Ihe instruction imparted by Duncan —the greatest coach ever known, to my mind—together with Hie adaptability of the players, that made the team what it was. It' players of the calibre of George Smith, Billy Wallace, and others of that famous All Black brigade, who stood alone in their days, were glad to have a coach to help them develop, why is it that some of our present players cannot bring themselves to do so? There are mighty few players who know all there is to be known about Rugby at this or any age. When the. Wallabies returned from England and transferred to the League, a coach was employed for them —not to teach them the rudiments of football, of course, but to wake them up to the fine points of a slightly different game and build up their team work. HlcKivatt and McCue. They were all wonderful footballers, and most of them brainy players, and some have proved themselves excellent coaches. Everybody knows what McKivatt did for Glebe, and late? North Sydney, and what Paddy McCue did for Newtown. The first two League teams that toured New Zealand were sent with a coach and trainer. The results or those tours speak volumes for the efficacy of coaching. To come right down to the presenL, I take off my hat to St. George for having a good, brainy committee and supplying their young teams with such a capable coach and wonderful player as Frank Burge. “Chunkie” knows the game from A to Z, and he has the happy knack of imparLing that knowledge. “Stick hard and fast to what your coach tells you, and play as one man. You know one grumble can upset the whole team.” Train in Daylight. To all teams who have a coach my advice is to do your training in the afternoon. Night training is no good for team practice. You get too many shadows, you are not sure of your footing, handling becomes guesswork, your passing is lobby; your scrum work is only a scramble; you cannot hook; you just guess, and throw your feet forward when you think the ball is coming into the ■ senim. You will learn more about team work in one afternoon under a 1 competent coach than you will in a whole season training by night. Take, for example, a simple movement of a half getting the ball from a scrum moving forward to his opposing fiveeights and passing into his forwards. They will get all fumbled in doing it by night. You move too slowly; in daylight it is simple, and you move at your top speed. All team work should he done at high speed. NEW RULES FOR 1927. In a circular letter to unions the N.Z.R.F.U. states that last year the Rugby Football Union, England, set up a sub-committee to revise the Rules of the Game and bring them out in simpler form. These have now been received by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. In the new rules certain alterations have been made, Which can be summarised as follows: — Knock-on. —Any knock-on, however slight, must be ruled a knock-on, even if the player catches it again before it touches the ground. Tackle. —So long as there is a moment when the player in possession of the ball is held in such a way that he cannot pass or play it that player is tackled. Then the ball must he put down- at once, and any player wishing to play it must play it with the foot first before it can be handled. The penalty for not so doing in both cases is a free kick. Scrummage.—The ball must now be hooked. If it is tapped out by the i side where it was put in or kicked straight out the other side the player doing so must be penalised. The hall is not in the scrummage if it goes right through. Before it can be hooked it must bo past both feet of a frontranker of both teams, he on the ground, and he mid-way between both sets of hookers. The referee lias the power to order the hall to he put in from whatever side he chooses. No player must, after ihe scrummage has been formed, wilfully add himself to the front rank so as to form more Ilian three in that row until the ball has been put in. No player must, by speech or otherwise, indicate as to how or when the ball is being put in. Time. —In interprovincial matches spells are to be of forty minutes’ duration. Unions are not empowered to appoint timekeepers. Time or halftime may now he called—(a) When the ball goes into touch or toucli-in-goal; (b) after a tackle; (c) after a touch-down, or after a kick at goal after a try; (d) after the whistle has been blown for an infringement of the rules. The referee has power to stop the game before time lias expired if in his opinion the full time cannot he played. '

Referee.—A referee has power to allow extra time for delays. He has power to appoint a substitute if lie cannot officiate for the whole’ period of the game, provided the captains of the two teams cannot agree, lie is not entitled to contract out of the rules of the game. He must not allow anyone but the players on the ground, except at his request. Players desiring to leave the field at half time must get the permission of the referee.

Touch-judges.—Touch-judges must signal with their flags when a goal is kicked. The referee, however, lias the power to overrule any of their decisions.

Players on the Ground.—A player who is lying on the ground with the ball in his possession must lie penalised unless he gels up at once or rolls away from the ball. Otherwise he may, while lying on the ground, pass or kick, the hall. A player who has bees'i tackled and is lying on the ground may play the hall with his foot. The circular letter to unions, dated'May 2, 1927, is now Withdrawn, a reply having been received to our cable to London, which reads: “(a) A player who is lying on the ground reaches out and gets possession of the hall. Does Law 20 prevent him immediately passing or kicking the ball without getting up? (b) A player on both knees is in possession of the ball: Can he g"> forward whilst in that position with the ball still in iiis possession?” ThO answer to the first question is No, second question Yes, having due regard to Laws 16 and 20. Advantage Rule. —The advantage rule does not apply: (a) At a kick-off or drop-out; (b) when the hall is not thrown in straight at a line-out; (c/ when free kicks or penalty kicks are being taken and the rules are broken. Kicking a Goal.—When a player is kicking at goal from a mark or try lie must not handle the ball when it is

on the ground, nor must lie touch it again after it has been placed on the ground. If he does so the kick is forfeited. In the case of penalty kicks “passive” is now defined as standing with his hands by his side and not attempting to put the kicker off his kick. Touch-line Flags.—The touch-line Hags are no longer considered part of the post, and the player is not put into touch by touching the flag only.