FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1920, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

Ah- T. H. Jones, the manager of the All Blacks, who arrived back in Wellington from New South AVales by tlia Uliniaroa giving giving his impressions of the tour said the people in Australia, would have nothing hut League football, and would not countenance the Rugby game until drastic alterations to the “find the line” rule were made. He was convinced that the only way to save the game in Australia, and probably ; n New Zealand would be to adopt tlie most important amendments under which Rugby was played by the Rugby Union in Auckland. The most debated i.f all tlie amendments was the carrying of the “finding the line” amendment, the effect of which would be to abandon direct kicking into touch, except n a team’s own “twenty-live” for defen sire purposes. That rule, in Mr .Tones’ opinion was much the same as the League rule, except that the penalty was a line-out opposite the spot where the hall was kicked and not where it found touch thereby helping to keep a distinguishing feature in the Rugby game.

Mr Jones was most struck by the football played in the public schools of New South Wales, particularly by the magnificent line-kicking, but little of which bad the effect of making a forward game of every match. Several of the teams had very fino back positions. A s the public school football was really the nursery of present Rugby football in New South Wales, the immediate introduction of Auckland’s finding the line amendment, was apparent if the game was to go ahead there. It might seem, judging by the figures that Rngby had gone for good in Australia, but that was certainly only a reaction following on the present season’s League football, and the vifcit of the English team. With the South African and French, tour to follow in 1921 and 1922 respectively Mr Jones stated, that there was every prospect of the Rugby game regaining its lost prestige, provided the “finding tfcfa line” amendment was adopted.