PORTER’S STYLE CRITICISED.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1924, Page 1

PORTER’S STYLE CRITICISED.

A MIXED BLESSING. LONDON, October 30. ‘•.Mercian,” of the “Athletic News,” deals with some interesting aspects of the All Blacks’ play, and at the same time takes upon himself what he admits might seem rank heresy— to suggest that Porter’s play might lie radically altered.

Having seen the last three matches played, including that against Cumberland, lie maintains that the public still have to see the New Zealanders at their«best. “11l view of the comparative ease with which these fine fellows from overseas have been collecting scalps from the West, from Wales, from the .Midlands, and from the North,” says “ Mercian,” “and, allowing for the impossibility of one mail, or many men, always touching top form, the inference my seem unflattering to their victims, but at the same time the individual skill of so many of the side is so marked that it is difficult to conceal the belief that there is a greater football pleasure in store. " Possibly it may seem rank heresy to a New Zealander even to hint at it, but 1 am not so sure that the obstacle t.o the jump to greater height is not in the play of the captain, Porter. He is a wonderfully fine player, hut the point is, do the methods he adopts at present get the best out of the side? WHAT .IS PORTER ? “ Let us he perfectly clear and perfectly fair. It would he shutting one’s eyes, nr rather one’s ears, to n lot of comment, if one ignored the fact that Porter's methods are the subject of a whole heap of controversy. It is suggested that he is an obstructionist, and that he gets offside a lot. For the moment I am not dealing with that aspect; better opportunity to form one’s own judgment will come with more opportunities to see him play.

“ The methods to he dealt with more immediately are those which follow the position he takes up on the field. He is not, the type of roving forward what a predecessor of his, one Dave Gallaher, made famous, and his flat-footed stance precludes the possibility of his being regarded as exactly a ‘living half.’ The New Zealanders have a recognised scrummage half-hack; so what, exactly, is Porter? There were undoubtedly occasions in the Lancashire match when the roving commission he gives himself interfered with the free transfer of The hull from the heels of his own forwards to his hacks. Has Porter evolved some fresh idem since he left New Zealand? The New Zealand skipper is a terrible thorn in the flesh of tlio opposition, hut it is at least open to question whether, judging by his present: tactics, it is altogether an unmixod blessing to have him oil one’s side.” The writer goes on to say that Air S. S. Dean, the manager, has been chary in giving interviews. “ Wisely, he has exercised the greatest caution in expressing any opinion as to the relative merits of the teams the New Zealanders have so far run up against, and wild horses will not drag Irom him any views as to the form of his own players. But there are certain aspects of Rugby with which Mr Dean does not mind dealing, and of which, indeed, he is justifiably proud. And one ol them is the pride of place the game holds in the hearts of New Zealanders. If is the national game in this lair corner of this far Him;-. Empire cl ours.” There follows an interesting account of Rughv activities in the Dominion. THE FRUITLESS COMPARISON.

“There are five members of the present party—Steel, Xicholls, Richardson, White, and West, who played for New Zealand against the South Africans in 1021,” the writer continues. “Air Dean saw most of those matches, and it is not without interest to note that he regards the tourists under his control as a distinct improvement on the 1921 All Blacks. When the British tour was over and the miitilhs of the members that had been sealed (lor publication purposes) were opened, A oyce told me that he thought a good many of the lending English county sides would have been good enough to have beaten the South. Africans at home. Now, in view of the way the All Blacks have been treating our counties it seems fairly obvious that either South African Rugby has (as the leaders of the game there frankly admit) gone hack or that X'w Zealand Rugby has advanced; probably both.

"Those well-meaning friends who get into touch with the present All Blacks before the tour is over will save themselves an unnecessary question il they attempt to find out from, any members of the party how they think they would lmved fared against the 11)03 coinl.ination. As Air Dean points out, there are at least four of his side who were milv just horn when Gallaher and his merry men were over here, and it is an impossible, task to make comparisons in different decades and under dilierent circumstances. In those days the enforcement of certain rules made for hard, solid scrimmaging, and play lending to he slower in consequence. 'I lie dispensation granted In New Zealand over certain rules which are observed here is another cause which contributes to the difficulty of judging one team by another’s standard.”