A Study In Tactics

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 428, 9 August 1928, Page 7

A Study In Tactics

England Kept Ball, and Won the Match FIVE-EIGHTHS V. THREEQUARTERS There is an old football axiom, “If you’ve got the ball, the other side can’t win.” It was proved up to the hilt yesterday by a team which committed more errors than its opponents, but which so consistently retained possession of the ball by hand-to-hand passing, varied by occasional dribbling efforts, that it finally won the match.

The Auckland team’s tactics were sound in so far as it was intended to make the game close, and play right up on the English halves and threequarters, but it threw the match away by kicking the ball to its opponents time without number. “DEEP” V. “SHALLOW” The two matches so far played have furnished an interesting study between the “deep” threequarter system of the Englishmen and the “shallow” formation of New Zealand, with five-eighths spanning the gap between halves and threequarters. The English method of getting over this is the system oi halves running out from the scrum. On Saturday the five-eighth systems exemplified by Wetherill’s penerating attacking ■work in centre-field play won the first test for New Zealand. Per contra, the weakness of the Englishmen was the lack of thrust by the English centres. The position was remedied yesterday by putting Fairclough out to make the openings, and so well did he carry out his task that it was here that the Englishmen gave their finest display of attacking work so far. Their defence in both matches has been beyond reproach. Judged by our standards, Fairclough’s play yesterday would still be regarded as essentially the true five-eighth game, which has been the secret of success with Australian and New Zealand Rugby and League teams from time immemorial. Apart from the controversial side of the argument—and there is much to be said for both systems—one can unreservedly join with Sydney critics in ranking Fairclough as one of the finest footballers we have ever seen in this part of the world. One last word. Can we hope for a referee next Saturday who will put a stop to all this futile and unedifying “shenanicking” in the scrums? If a front-ranker refuses to allow the ball to go properly into the scrum, he should at once be penalised by a free kick.