ALL BLACK INFLUENCE.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 117, 21 January 1926, Page 8

ALL BLACK INFLUENCE.

ON BRITISH RUGBY. An Irish Seven-eighths. The present football season in Britain is remarkable for the amount of attention which is being given by critics and players to the methods of the All Blacks. A crusade has been conducted against rough play and other illegal tactics, and many of these undesirable features are attributed to the influence of our boys. A F. Blakiston, a player with nineteen English caps and captain of Northampton, was suspended for a month for attempting to kick. Two worldfamous clubs in Newport and London Harlequins have suspended their fixtures, the latter club, of which Adrian Stoop is secretary, alleging dirty tactics on the part of the Welsh players. In Devon, where our boys had their headquarters, the suspensions of players have been wholesale, and altogether the season has been anything- b'ut a happy one for the administrators of the game. SANE CRITICISM. No one in New Zealand would do other than admit that Porter’s team was composed of players that were human, but on the other hand few will agree with the Manchester Guardian and the London papers which lay all the blame for the present trouble in English Rugby on to the methods employed by the All Blacks. Amidst all the destructive criticism it is more pleasant to read the comments of other critics such as E. D. Sewell, W. W. Wakefield and Mercian (Athletic News), who defend the All Blacks. The latter, in an article on the Newport-Harlequins imbroglio, states in one paragraph “ The New Zealanders, who, now they have left our shores, are finding more and more critics unfriendly to. their methods, discovered every side they met keyed up to concert pitch. Every touring side has the same experience. The leading Welsh teams, when they visit the chief English centres, have the shine sort of compliment paid them. Our New Zealand friends had a good ' many virtues, and among them adaptability must be included. It is to their credit, that generally speaking they were not the first to start ‘ rough

house ’ tactics, however much they may have seemed ready to pay the originators hack with interest.” REFEREES BLAMED. W. W. Wakefield, the Englisdi captain, bluntly lays most of the blame on to incapable referees. In the New-port-Harlequins’ match many reports state that Mr. Potter Irwin, presidentelect of the English Rugby Union, who controlled the game, was often not up with play. This view of Mr. W’alcefield will b* upheld by many New- Zealanders conversant with the methods of many English officials, who believe that it is infra dig to show any enthusiasm more particularly in regard to sport. When one recalls the fact that the Scotch referee in the famous All Black-Wales match in 1905 appeared on the field dressed in Norfolk jacket, plus fours, stiff collar and ordinary walking hoots, it would appear as if this tradition:! l English conservatism has prevented many leading officials in England from learning anything since that time. ALL BLACK FORMATION. More pleasant reading is to be found in the account of the play of those clubs which have endeavoured to copy the All Black formation or. the field of play. Such clubs as Leicester and Bath have played eight backs for some years with considerable success, though correct fiveeig'hths’ play was seldom practised. THE SEVEN-EIGHTHS. It was not, however, until Dublin University thrashed a strong Oxford University team by 23 points to 3 that critics took much notice in recent years. The Irish club played an extra man in the backs in this game, but not as a five-eighths. Instead his position has been designated as “ seven-eighths,” and during the game he played in two different places on the field. On defence he played between the three-quarters and the fullback, as an extra full-back. On attack he moved up and played between the halves and the threequarters. Usually at Home amongst those clubs playing- only seven forwards in the pack, the extra man has been a roving forward. The present Irish move is, however, claimed to be a big improvement on this mode,

STILL UNCONVINCED. The bulk of the critics, however, are still unconvinced, and many weird excuses are made in explaining away Oxford’s defeat. A favourite objection to- adopting- the New Zealand style appears to be that five-eighths are born, not made, which being translated simply means that Old Country players cannot be induced to run straight, but persist in the traditional style of play in endeavouring to get the ball to the wing threequarters as quickly as possible. Amongst all this conservative babble E. D. H. Sewell, the old Essex amateur, and International Rugby player, appears, to be a lonely critic with a clear perception untrammelled by ancient shibboleths. In biting language he asks whether there is not a lesson to be learned from the fact that in 1905 (he counts the match with Wales a draw) and in 1924 teams from New Zealand toured the British Isles without defeat. The Englishman learns slowly, but when he does learn he learns to some purpose. However, in this particular matter the dice are loaded against him and until the control of Rugby in England is modernised, there appears to be little hope of any big improvement.