FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1921, Page 4

FOOTBALL

NOTES ON THE GAME. HOME FORWARDS TOO FAST IN LOOSE. (Lyttelton Times). The conclusion to be reached in surveying the game was that the South Africans had little, if anything, that they could show the local team-in Rugby strategy or tactics, and on the actual play they only showed occasional flashes of the brilliant passing movements that form their longest suit. Their weight and height on the line-out, hacked up by rushing-in tactics, would have made them more formidable if they had been able to feed tbe backs from tbe line-out, but tbe opposition was too strong in this department, and the pace of the local forwards, irresistible in dribbling rushes, simply combed the hall through the slower-moving opposition. The Springboks Mere expected to give a display of Rugby fireworks from the back of tlic scrum, but in this department they we re blocked. The Canterbury men Mere round too quickly, pouncing on the halves before* they could get rid of the ball. The tackling on both sides Mgs great, and the Canterbury backs bad this much to their endit, that when they went for their man they grassed him and the ball as well. The 3-3-2 scrum formation of the visitors was not effective, for the Canterbury hookers more than got their share of the ball. Even apart from this there was not the straight running that one miis led to expect when the hull went out to the backs, and the dangerous cross-kicks exhibited bv the team in training did not develop. A slight hesitancy marked the backs at times, blit nevertheless they showed that on a dry ground they

Mould he a very fa si combination. The May in which Strauss overhauled three (anterhury forwards wlm had swept past tin' full-back was an eye-opener to the spectators, who must -have realised that nitli fliers like Strauss and Van Heerdon on attack on a dry ground, tie defence Mould bo impregnable. Perhaps Canterbury owed their Min to the fact that they regarded themselves as an attacking force at every stage and happily for themselves, turned defence into attack M'henerer a weak joint presented itscil in the Springboks’ armour. The torwards Merc not content to accept tluvaluation placed on them by the New Zealand selectors, with the result that they took- the initiative and held it until no-side miis sounded. For all that, the game was close enough to hold the spectators in the grip of the most intense excitement.. Ellis, the South African fonvard, had bad luck to lose the ball just as he Mas falling over the line for a certain tepy, but there were so many melees on the Springboks’ lino that the luck of the

Maine Mas not markedly in favour ot one side or the other. It is sale to snv that hut for the flawless exhibition of Evans, the f’anterhury full-back, different figures Mould have been posted on the result board, but his retirement fifteen minutes before the end of ihe game only served lo show that the (’anterhury vanguard could hold their end up with decidedly weaker supports. Everything depended on the wind of the local fornards. When they lined out for the second spell there Mils a very general fear that their efforts in the lirst half had taken the sting out of them, and that South Africit would sweep them off their feet by a series . of passing attacks. This impression gained strength uhen Meyer

was racing for tin* lino ill the end of :i glorious passing rush. liven when livnus grounded him and play swept back for a Canterbury score, the daugei did not disappear, for tlu> Springh ks were then developing the most dangerous phases of their attack —lint' kicking to gain ground and passing rushes to pierce the defence. Indeed, the heavy shower of rain that soddened th(> ball was a distinct factor in the came, for Canterbury accommodated themselves to the conditions and gained ground with footwork, leaving the ungloved Springboks to grasp at the elusive leather, lane kicking was not a feature of the early play of the visitors, and they lost ground by keeping the ball in play on a heavy ground where they were not able to be up with the hall. Later, however, when they weri' varying their style of play in the hope of finding it way through they gained much ground by line kieking. T' is, indeed, was their most oiler;:.' method, for their line o. s, close in. wore the most dangerous phase of their

A feature of the Canterbury attack was the vacant sections to which the backs were able to direct both long and short punts, and there was no doubt that positionally the "knith African backs were not well distributed. In fact, they would have done well to adopt the New Zealand classification in the hacks, and also the 2 3-2 scrum formation instead of the 3-3-2 that they played on Saturday. This would have left a fan free to pku the wing-forward game, instead of tailing on the stand-off half to put th p hall in and shield his inside half from op-

posing raids. Only one man went off hurt , and this was a testimony to the cleanness of the game, hut among the forwards there was a good deal of “rough stuff which the referee could have eliminated if he had taken a firm stand early in the game. As it was, the teams got out of hand in this particular, end the hooting that marked ail isolated instance of dumping in front of the east stand could almost hare been interpreted a« a gentle hint to the referee to exercise greater strictness. SUMMARY OF FIRST SPELT.

A feature of the game in the first spell was the hustling loose work of the Canterbury forwards. Frequently after being held Sor a moment ill a line-out melees they hurst through hall at foot, dribbling down on the South African full-back. Only The slippery J foothold spoiled these movements. Nonj plussed by tactics of this kind, the ' Springboks sought safety in line-kirks. * This was the first time in "New Zealand that they had been pressed so hard. Usually they kick to the centre j of the field, even from their own twen--1 tv-five. In fact they started on that j method’. The .Springbok, hacks with 'the exception of Strauss seemed rather slow in getting to the ball, and Geraldl Morkel, the full-back, was pressed so hard at times that he had

to find toudh without considering any of the niceties of his angles. Meyer, on the left wing was even slower, hut was a fairly solid type of defensive player. The fact of tln> matter, was that the visitors were not .seen in attack at all, except for, occasional flashes. Great defensive wank by H. Mullins took the sting out of Tindall’s' dashes round the scrum. Mullins flung himself low, took one man and often went after another R Evans was particularly quick in getting a kick in when hemmed in. As for the forwards, Canterbury showed more elan. Lack of weight in the line-out crushes was a bit against them. SUMMARY OF SECOND SPELL. Tlie second spell was even harder than the first. After Ford got his beautiful try, the South Africans set out to recover ground by mass formation and short, passing bouts. Time after time they tried to force a passage. hut the opening elosod up almost irtiraculomfly. The Canterbury threequarters line was the next thing- to ironclad. Whatever did go past was safe with C. E. Evans. His fullback play was without flaw. Another man who stood out was Ford, whose speed was a great element in Canterbury's fine display, and the crowd rose from their seats every time he got the ball. Wilson, the other wing, handled the wet ball a.s well as any other man oil the field. But all the Canterbury hacks were going as they hads"t-i gone before, backing up perfectly. With fourteen minutes to go, the retirement of C. E. Evans distinctly nffe.cted Canterbury's chances. There was only one thing for the Red and Blacks to do, and that was to attackin the loose. They did it with splendid dash, no man hanging hack. South Africa on the other hand, stuck too much to passing and there were numerous fumbles. j SPRINGBOKS V. SOUTH CANTERBURY. I ...... TIMA HU. August 2. i 'Pile weather promises to be fine and the ground in good order for the . Springboks v. South Canterbury met’ , to-morrow. The Governor-General a! 1 attend the match. The South Canterbury team is as folnws; P. Cranniteh. I). Clark, P. Storey. H. Scott. J. C j(t. Lawson. AT. Anglnnd. A. Scott. ! Ward, R. Stewart. AT. Flynn, D. Stew. ■ art. T. Clark. P. Tatty, and J. McBride. Air J. IT. Grover (Christchurch 1 will referee.

WELLINGTON REP FIXTURES WELLINGTON. August 2

Following are the dates of- Wellington’s rep matches: v. Canterlnirv el Wellington, on August 13th.: v. Wanganui, at Wanganui, on August 2-lth-v. Taranaki, at New Plymouth. Aug’-si 27th; v. South Auckland at Hamilton, on August 31st; v. Auckland at \uupland, September 3rd; v. South Con-t at Wellington, September 1 10th: v. Auckland at Wellington. Sepicm’ i” 21st.; v. Otago at Wellington. September 2dtli. The New Zealand Ruidiv Union has arranged a match with Nov South Wales. Other AYellington Rugby Union fixtures are: -Senior B. v. Manawatu-Un-rowlienna at Palmerston North. \i";ust 13: v. Bush districts at Paliiatua August 17th; v. Wairarapn at Carterton. August 20th.; v. AVairarnpn a* AYellington. September 3rd. There is a possibility of a match with Marlborough ns a curtain raiser to the third test match. Tlip New Zealand Rugby Union liasdecided upon n mateb with the King Country.

The attendance .at the Springboks Canterbury match on Saturday last was l.O.fiSfi and the takings SI5(1(1.

Afr C. IT. Bennett. Manager of flic Springboks was approached by the Canterbury Rugby Union for another game with Canterbury towards the end of thp tour. b"t refused saying: “One Peking is enough for us.”