DECLINE IN KICKING

Chronicle (Levin), 22 July 1949, Page 5

DECLINE IN KICKING

(N.Z.P.A.-

Reuter .

C.

Kihg,

N.Z.P.A.

Stcdy Of Pojnis In South AfrscanTours

CovvrUrht )

( FrOm

Representa-

tive with the All Blaeks). J OH ANl^ ESBURG, July 2L Witli half of their tdur completed the 1949 All Blaeks Jhave a r0.cor4.tp, the 1928 side.pf eight wjnSj yhree lospes and g draw. • But toi tlje surpj'ising decline in th? standard Of* goal-kiejkihg * the present seaip might well have be*3h unb.eaten. Xn. aGtual fact the teaim ha&^ not heen penalised as heayily, as its predepgssor, havin'g had 98ypenalties in* ifs f avour japd 112 againsti eom.pared. with 86 for and li9 against ' ih ihe first 12 games of the 1928 tour. '• .The following is 'a resume of liothi tours with the figures given also for the opposing teams: From all sources, conversions of tries, penalties and pots at goal the 'All Blaeks have had 69 attempts and have kicked 19 goals, eompared with 64 attempts and 20 goals by the opposing , teams. However, the Ab Blaeks' 19 goals haye brought- only 47 points. They consist of 10 conversions of tries out of 21 attempts, six penaltv goals out of 35, aild three potted goals but of 13. The ppposing teams have converted one try, but have kicked 19 penalty goals out of 49 attempts, a total of 59 points. Thus, out of the All Blaeks ' total of 110 points, 47 haVe come ffpjji hieks at goal or 43 per .cent., whereasj out of the opposing teams' total of 68 points, 59 have come from kicks, or 86 per cent. The standard of goal-kieking in 1928 was vastly superior. In the iirst 12 games 177 points were seored, eomprjs ing 36 tries, 23 being converted, five penalty goals and two potted goals. The kicks represent 39 per cept. of the total, but a notable point is that fewer shots at goal were missed as the following table shows: The 1928 All Blaeks converted 23 tries, missed 12. Converted 5 penalties, missed 14. Converted 2 pots, missed 3. Total 59 shots, 31 gonls. The opposing teams:, Five and 5; 8 and 15; 5 and- 13. Total 51 shots, 18 goals. The 1949 All Blaeks converted 10 tries, missed 11; converted 6 penalties, missed 29; converted 3 pots, missed 10. Total 69 shots, 19 go®ls. The opposing teams, one and two; 19 and 30; none and 12. Total 64 shots, 20 goals. Scott, whose goal-kicking had been sensational before this tour, has the most disappointing record to date. He has converted five tries and missed six, kicked six penjlty, goals and missed 23, and potted one goal and missed two, a tptal of 44 shots and 12 goals, for 31 points. *I,indsay's record in the first 12 games in 1928 was 20 conversions of tries, four missed, four penalty goals, eight missed, one potted goal, two missed, a total of 39 shots and 25 goals for 56 points. ... Lindsay 's goal-kicking was remarkably good and represented 64 per cent. at that stage. Subsequenly he lost this, great aecuracy, but for the whole tour he kicked 28 goals out of 64 attempts or 43 p,er eent. Mark Nicliqlls finished with 14 goals out of 36 attempts. or 38 per cent. Both these players had better goal-kicking percentages than Bennie Osler, who converted nine out of 36 shots at goal. Despite his poor record every meinber of the All Blaeks feels that Scott will come back to kicking form which made him famous in England, Australia and New Zealand. The surprising fact is that in other respects he is playing grnnd football. " Some of his mighty clearances, his coolness under pressure and the ease with which he sidesteps oncoming attackers entitle him to rank with the greatest full-backs of ' all time.