RUGBY FOOTBALL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 305, 19 August 1932, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SATURDAY'S GAMES POOR TACKLING WEAKENS ROTORUA REP. TEAM'S CHANCES THE REPLACEMENT RULE (Notes by "Free Kick.") With a Rotorua-Te Arawa tribal match and the first junior representative game of the season scheduled for to-morrow at the Park, the hill of fare looks better value for the money tHan was the case last Satilrday, when out of six teams drawn to play only two put in an appearance. Ths onus is on the management committee of the Rugby Union and they will havs to adopt stern measures so that a similar occurrence does not again happen.' The junior representatives have been doing some steady training during the week in preparation for their fixture with Matamata to-morrow and an excellent exhibition should be witnessed. This is the first occasion that players from the High School have been included in the selection and without in any way wishing to discredit the calibre of the School team, I think that selector Mason could have found ample other material from the various teams in the grade, especially as the School only arrive back this evening after a hard game against Takapuna Grammar. Every player can not be included in the selection, still there is Duff (Kahukura) and Stallard and Christophers (Old Boys), who should have met the selector's eye. There is no doubt that the combination is a strong one and .with two names yet to be omitted, the final selection is awaited with interest, although it is evident that I. Kingi must be the first to he dropped. Much critieism has been levelled at the refereeing and the exhibition of football in the Rotoiti-Hikuwai match of two Saturdays' back. Certainly Hikuwai reeeived no favours from the referee and were dead unlucky to loose, as the play was 90 per cent. in their favour, granted also that the game was vigorously contested — perhaps over-vigorously — still at no stage was the play a fair indication of how Rugby should be played; it was only another illustration of the style of play into which our senior football has drifted. If bumpdng, charging and rushing tactics are considered a fair exhibition, the standard has reached a pitiful stage and all that is needed now is a new set of rules to enable the game to function. Strict enforcement of Rule 34 during the Rotoiti-Hikuwai match, would have seen several players receive their marching orders, and in this respect Rotoiti were the main offenders. It is evident that this so called hard play appeals to a small section of the spectators who hinder the game by crowding the side-line and urging the players with unnecessary barracking. Surprising Defeat It was surprising to see the senior representatives beaten by Putaruru, especially after they had taken the lead in the second half of the game. Bad tackling once again proved a big feature in their defeat and until some improvement is shown in this department they will continue to lose matehes.

Replacement of Players The B.M.A. may play a part in the question of seeking some relief from the rules laid down hy the English Rugby Union about players not being replaced when injured and not leaving the field at half-time, when the New Zealand Rugby Union holds a special meeting of delegates of affiliated unions in Wellington this week. Although no official statement is obtainable, it is understood that the Christchurch hranch of the B.M.A. has considered these rules from the point of view of their effect upon the welfare of the players, and has made representations to the B.M.A. in Wellington, which may in turn give an expression of opinion on the matter , to the New Zealand Rugby Union. Recently the B.M.A. issued an opinion that players who suffered head injuries should be taken from the field on the grounds that serious harjn might result from concussion if a player persisted in going on without receiving proper attention. Up till this season it has been possible for a player hurt in a game to leavs the field and receive proper attention, his place being taken by another. Now if a man goes off he cannot be replaced and his team is left one short. Many players, it is felt, will carry on when hurt rather than leave their team one man short, whereas in the interests of their own health they should really leave the field and receive proper attention. An instance was that of H. B. Pollock in the Wellington- Auckland game recently. He was badly hurt and went off for a time. He insisted on returning to the field to see the game out and was still suffering from the injury, which he had aggravated by continuing to play when hurt. Trouble Threatened "Many players will carry on when hurt under this rule, hecause they know another man cannot he sent on in their places, whereas really they shpuld he under the care of the ambulance men or in hospital." one man said to-day. It has also been urged that the noreplacement rule will be dangerous to the players because it will he "a direct incitement to rough play." Those who have made this suggestion urge that a good man may be marked so thoroughly that he will be hurt

and out of the way before the game has gone very far. Any side will know that if it knocks a man out be cannot be replaced and in a hard match it will he difficult for players not to take advantage of this position. If the possibilities of the rule were taken advantage of in this way there would he an abnormal percentage of injuries in hard games, it was declared. Cases have also been quoted where players have caught colds and chills through having to stand out in the open during the half-time interval. Men ar.e particularly likely to he troubled in this way on a cold, windy day, hecause they have to stand out in a bitter blast for five minute.s after spending three-quarters of an hour getting heated.