RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17221, 3 October 1927, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

CRITICISM OF PLAY. TWO DISQUIETING FEATURES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. There were two disquieting features in the North v. South match, which the New Zealand Union ought to take seriously in hand. One was the inordinate number of penalties, especially against the Northerners. These really lost them the game, and caused them to be beaten by a slightly inferior side. The infringement of rules by the North Island sides has been most noticeable in Wellington this minter, and none 'were greater offenders than Wellington itself. Quite a number of penalties on Saturday were for breaches which either displayed great ignorance on the part of players or deplorable carelessness. The Union should stamp this out firmly before the team goes to Africa. The other feature was the extraordinary weakness in defence revealed by the enormous score of Gl points, although two picked sides were engaged. Some of the backs appeared too light and too weak to stem the rushes of the 1-ist and 15st forwards, and constant gaps were opened. Football critics are laying stress on the necessity of a rigid medical inspection this time, instead of the farcial one in 1924, which led to several men going to England who should 'never have been allowed to leave and thus kept others with better claims out of the team. It is also urged that the whole of iks places should not be filled up at once, in order to leave room for com- ' % petcnt men who would be selected if available and who later may find they can go after all.

FEELING IN THE SOUTH. REPLY TO CRITICISM. CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Commenting on the Wellington message the Star's Rugby writer says the South Island were certainly not an inferior team. Their rearguard was very much more superior to the North's rearward lnan the latter's pack was to the Southern pack. Further, if the results of matches are held to be best based on the number of tries scored then there has been many an undeserved Rugby victory. Wairarapa, in fact, would not have won the Ranfurly Shield from Hawkc's Bay in June.