FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1930, Page 5

FOOTBALL

A Wellington writer says:—The 1930 season which is almost upon us, should prove the most interesting since 1921, when the formidable Springboks were with us and gave the first jar to our Rugby pride we ever received by finishing up all square in the Test mutches.

Since then New Zealand has sent teams to Great Britain in 1924 and «■<> South Africa in 1928. The All Blacks had a triumphant march through Britain, winning every one of the 29 matches played.

It was another story in South Africa however, and it was only by a super-

human effort in the fourth 'Test match at Cape Town that we managed to again finish all square with them. RIVAL SYSTEM'S.

Ihe visit of the British 'team this year will prove intensely interesting as providing comparisons between two rival systems of Rugby. The British Unions have stuck loyally to the English method of eight men in the scrum, two half-backs, lour three-quarters and one full hack, while New Zealand still apparently pins its faith to the game it has evolved in this country of seven forwards, a wing-fonvarcl, a half-back, two five-eighths, three three-quarters, and a full-back.

The New Zealand style of formation apparently did all right ill Britain in 1905 and again in 1224, but it did not work out so satisfactorily against the South Africans either in New Zealand or in South Africa.

It is history now that the All Blacks

had to change their scrum formation in South Africa before they managed to overhaul the victorious Springboks. Both the manager (Mr W. F. Hornig) and the vic-e-capt (M. F. Nieholls), of the New Zealand team, on their return from the South African tour plainly stated that New Zealand must alter its scrum, formation if it expected to beat overseas teams in the future.

This advice was disregarded, and New Zealand continued to play seven men in the scrum in 1928 and 1929. Then came another shock for New Zealand’s Rugby prestige, when the All Blacks, for the first time in history, were soundly beaten in every Test match by the Australian fifteen.

With such writing on the wall,, it would have been thought that, with the Australian defeats fresh in our memories, and the British team about to descend upon us, those in control of the game last season would have seen to it that a return was made to legitimate Rugby in order to give our men a chance of meeting tne British team on something like level terms.

While New Zealanders are firmly wedded to the 2—3—2 scrum formation, it has to be remembered that this is the only Rugby country in the world which adopts this system. Every New Zealander, however, is by no means enamored of our system of serum formation.