RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18233, 18 November 1924, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

BRITISH TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA. questionable behaviour. A correspondent writing in the, Durban paper * * The Latest" cii September' 27th seritfnslv discusses the question whether the visit of Dominion teams to the Old Country or the visits of English teams to the Dominions strengthens the cords that bind the Dominions to the Mother Country. He says: "It certainly docs appear impossible for a touring team -nowadays to complete their programme without causing unpleasantness, or being the cause of unpleasantness, and sometimes before the tour actually commences there is acrimonious correspondence in' regard to finance and other matters.

"It is doubtful if the British Rugby team which concluded its South African tour on Saturday has assisted one little bit to improve the relationship of the Mother Country and the Union, or even to command our respect. Their deportment on and off the field has been a matter for adverse comment, particularly in the smaller centres which they •seem to have taken a delight in 'painting red,' lis if the inhabitants of those places were not considered to be entitled to ain- consideration or worthv of being treated with proper respect. Shakespeare made Shylock exclaim with a sneer, 'These be thy Christians!' and there is some excuse for young *feouth Africans who only know of England's greatness from what they have read in books, if on witnessing the deportment and tactics of certain members of the British Rugby team, they have remarked with scorn and eontempt: 'These be thy wonderful English sportsmen!' "In consequence of. what took place on the train after the Natal match in Maritzburg, I was asked Joy an eyewitness —who was by no means a prude, a wowser, kill-joy or plaster saint —if I would form one of a small deputation to wait upon Dr. CoveSmith at his hotel and ask him to, if possible, request certain members of his team to exercise more restraint off the field if only, in the interest of members of the younger generation. In a manner the visiting Rugby players were, during their stay, the guests of Ratal, and it did not appear to me to be quite the tiling for the host to ask the guest to behave himself, so nothing was done in the matter.

"Subsequently a dance held at' a local hotel developed into a bacchanale, as the result of the presence of some of the touring players, and since their departure private letters have told of similar happenings at other places visited, particularly at Grahamstown—the very worst place for such a thing to occur seeing that it is an important | educational centre whose colleges shelter young South Africans from all parts of the country." The culminating point was evidently reached in the fourth. Test match, and the "Cape Times" says:' "The game was spoilt by rather, unsportsmanlike tactics by the visiting players, and in one instance a certain British forward so far forgot himself as, to Use his fists like a professional boxer." This was no doubt the same player who did a foul bit of work at Maritzburg which incensed the onlookers and caused the Natal men picked to represent South Africa to resolve tha,t they would get even -with him in the first Test game the following week. The "Cape Times" critic went 011 to say that "there was too much hacking' and wild kicking iu the tight serumS,-and it cannot be said that the SQutU ;Afriea inylted; ; such I jtreatment. Nothing like ii has been seen at Newlands and it is to be hoped there will never again be a repetition of such rough and wilful tactics. "The slogan was evidently 'win by fair means if possible, but win/ and this accounts for the hacking and wild kicking in the tight scrums, and the use of the fists!"