THE NEW SCRUM

Evening Star, Issue 22143, 25 September 1935, Page 12

THE NEW SCRUM

EXPERIMENT BY MANAGER The All Black scrum formation appears to be creating as much controversy in England as did the diamond scrum of the 1905 and 1924 teams from New- Zealand. • Letters from members of the team (says the ‘ Dominion ’) reveal that Mr V. 11. Meredith decided on the voyage to England that the side would experiment in its early matches with a sevenman scrum packed in a \three-four formation, with a roverdetached, this position to be filled by either H. F. M'Lean (Auckland) or C. Pepper (Auckland). The manager intended to continue the employment of a rover unless, in the words of one player, it proved “ not effective or too unpopular.” Tlje three-four-one scrum perfected by the South Africans is the one in general use in New Zealand’, though the three-two-three packing is usually employed by the representatives of Otago. _ The three-four-ono scrum is more suitable to the packing of tall forwards, but the three-two-three placement has some advantages with suitably-sized players, especially in wheeling. The All Black team lacks a true specialist for the back-row position of the three-four-one scrum, M'Lean being a middle-row forward by preference and experience, while Pepper is a frontranker. Both, however, have some of the necessary qualities, and could probably be coached in filling the position satisfactorily. The New Zealand team which visited Australia last year was similarly handicapped, and J. E. Manchester (Canterbury), H. Mataira (Hawke’s Bay), A. Mahoney (Bush), and M'Lean shared the back-row work, Mahoney playing three times, Mataira twice, M'Lean twice, and Manchester once. A. H, Andrews (Canterbury) was chosen for the position, but could not make the tour. Neither ho nor F. Solomon (Auckland) showed the required form in the trial matches before the selection of the team for England.