RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1926, Page 1

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ACTION IN IRELAND. LONDON, December 11. “ I am in a position officially to cont indict the statement that has been widespread to the effect that in this season’s Rugby international Ireland may adopt the New Zealand formation. ’*

This is a staement made by the Dublin social correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle.” He also quotes a Rugby authority ns saying: “There has been a great deal " written of the New Zealand formation, hut, in my opinion—and I have made a close study of the New Zealanders’ tactics—a good deal of what has been written is rot. The New Zealanders would play just as well under any ordinary formation. It is the calibre of the players which counts .more than the formation.”

However that may be. the subject continues to provide “copy” for a number hf football correspondents. “It was noteworthy.” writes an old Harlequin player in the “Daily Afail,” “that Leicester did not adopt cither their old formation or the so-called New Zealand formation against the Harlequins. They played eight forwards and only one five-eighths. It was not only the irony of fate that caused the Harlequins to play much better after Hamilton-AA’iekes was off the field, but the fact that thenceforth they had seven forwards against Lcicestcrs* eight. That was why they went so near winning, and Leicester only just escaped defeat. “ By the way. those who oppose the seven forwards cighi backs game have not yet tumbled to the fact that so many of our dub teams invariably play it nowadays when in their own 25, using it, wrongly, as being efficacious only in defence, whereas, properly played, its equal as an attacking system has not yet been seen. It is almost solely due to this generally overlooked fact that, two Now Zealand teams touring in these isles have scored 332 tries to which our own system—or want of it—has replied with a microscopic total of 23 I vies in 01 matches.”

“Touch Judge” of the “Sporting Life ;m Sportsman,” says that if Troian have ambitions in the direction of emulating the methods of the All Blacks they have many difficulties Before them. “In the first place they must cultivate men of speed and resource who will play the five-eighths game, and nothing else at all times, exactly as did New Zealand. These men must eliminate altogether the idea that they are included in tho team as scoring factors. They cannot 1(2, or they are not fire-eighths as regarded by tho All Blacks. In the last lour, Mark Nieholls, a glorious player in every sense of the word, scored only one try out of 150 obtained in England; yet he ‘made’ the side on manv occasions. But a Mark Nieholls is not discovered in a season or in a generation, and he never will he if an individual desiring to follow his footsteps does not play' in this position every time he turns out, and he cannot do that unless tho New Zealand game is universally adopted in Ireland. But this is not all. “To play the New Zealand game with any success it is necessary for the team as a. whole to operate time and again in the new formation; for each member of the side to he. as it were, a specialist in his particular position; and for each man to train consistently, resolutely—in fact, almost to devote his life to improvement in physical, mental and athletic qualities. It may he possible for this to be done by Ireland, or even bv a club, lint I doubt it greatly. SECRET OF ALL BLACKS SUCCESS, “The secret of the New Zealand success was not due to their formation, hut to intensive backing up at all stages of the game, to tho delivery ol a mass frontal attack, so that the wing man, when in possession, had plenty of I space in which to operate, to the last, perfectly straight running of the man with the ball, and to the cultivation ol superb fitness. It was nothing else, and the five-eighths had no more to do with it than the rest of the team. “Given men of speed, who possess brains, and can give and take a pass with consistent accuracy, then four-three-quarters, and two half-backs behind eight forwards is a more appealin"-. and to my mind, a more effective force than any other. At hat Ireland may do is no concern of ours. Let us remain contented with our own game as fas as possible, and, given the men. we need fear no infinite variation in tactics from anv part of the world.