SPRINGBOKS WERE BETTER SIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 47, 18 November 1937, Page 4

SPRINGBOKS WERE BETTER SIDE

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Simple Explanation of N.Z.'s Defeats A WELLINGTON VIEW

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WELLINGTON, Last Night* The attitude which the NeW Zealand Rugby Union had taken np following the defeats of the All Blacks by thej Springboks in the recent Test matches was anything but complimentary to Ihe BpringbOks, said Mr J. N» Millard, the chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union, at. a meeting last night. The New Zealand union appeared io imagine that there was something radically wrong with the game in this country, whereas. the -simple explanation was that the other side had been far too good for us, said Mr Millard. 'Mr J. T. King said that the Newj Zealand uhion aippeared as if they wished to put the blame for New Zealand defeats in the Test matches oa to the provincial unions. Mr H. T. Bollard suggeated that the book of rtiles issued from time. to time to schools should contain hints tipon coaching. Mr Millard stated that the Rugby handbook edited by Mr T. A. Fletcher and Mr W. J. Wallace had been very helpful in this direction. The secretary, Mr A. E. Neilson, said that thousands of these hnadbooks had been. sent out to schools iu all paris of the Dominion. Mr Millard agreed that the handbooks should be brought up to date every few years and sent out to the schools. Mr Millard said that the New Zealand union should ,be advised to obtain a report ifcim its selectors, and those who had watched the Springboks in action, upon Now Zealand 's Weakness in scrum * f ormation. The average mea in the Dominion, he said, did not knOw how to pack a 4-^-3 — 1 scrum. It was senseless to talk about reverting' to the 2—3 — 2 scrum. The reason the' 2— 3—- 2 scrum had been discarded was because, with sueh a diamond shaped formation, it was impossible to get the bait When opposed by a. three-fronted Scrum. The New Zealand union should obtain a report from competent observers of the Springboks upon New Zealand '• weakness with the three-fronted serum. That report, if it were obtained, could be incorporated in the school handbook.