“N.Z. Should Stick to 2-3-2 Scrum"

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 489, 19 October 1928, Page 6

“N.Z. Should Stick to 2-3-2 Scrum"

ALL BLACK FORWARD’S VIEW COMMENT ON AFRICAN TOUR Some interesting opinions on the South African tour were given by W. Hazlett, a member of the All Blacks team, on his return to Invercargill last week. Ilazlett, who is a son of the well-known Southland sportsman, Mr. W. T. Hazlett, was considered by many good judges to be the most improved player of the tour. “I can honestly say that Maurice Brownlie is the best forward I have ever seen,” he told a Southland “Times” reporter. “He was up against it in Africa, for there were always two men marking him, and he got anything but a good spin. As our captain we had the utmost respect and affection for him. He did wonderful work coaching the forwards, and was always thinking of us. To say that he and Mark Nicholls were at loggerheads is all nonsense. Before the team left, these two had agreed to sink any differences of opinion on tactics and pull together for the sake of the side. They were always associated in coaching the team, Maurice taking the forwards and Mark the backs. Mark Nicholls was certainly a great tactician. Instead of'the "Press running Brownlie down they should be proud of him.” That the New Zealanders played the more enterprising game was the opinion of Southland’s All Black. The South Africans, save for Osier and de Villers, did not have the initiative of the New Zealand backs, nor were they as sound on defence. Under their rules the Springboks were inclined to play a “stodgy” game. When the ball was hooked either the half or the five-eighths would find touch, and by this means gradually work play to their opponents’ line. Their threequarters, however, were faster than the All Black wings. There was no question about the superiority of the Springbok scrummaging in the first part of the tour.

The All Blacks had lost the art of succesful scrummaging, but taking a lesson from the first test, by the time half the tour had been completed they had regained it, and were getting the best of matters at the end. “I think we should keep to our 2-3-2 formation. We can more than hold our own with it if we pack correctly. The ball comes out more quickly from our scrums than from the 3-2-3. “We want to concentrate on the scrum work in the next few years, and we will have no reason to fear the next visit of the Springboks. But we must go in for tighter scrumming. It has been a very valuable tour as far as teaching us that lesson is concerned. TEAMS IN CAMP “You have no idea how seriously the game is taken in Africa. Almost every team we played spent weeks in camp preparing to meet us. The test teams underwent great training, especially at the beginning. It was surprising to us to see youngsters in almost every paddock practising potting goals. The Africans are great kicks. “Except for the grounds at Durban, Capetown and Johannesburg, the surfaces are very hard and were not relished by our players. Worse still was the effect of the altitude. At Johannesburg and Burchersdorp we were 6,000 feet above sea level, and we seemed to have to gasp for breath, it appeared to grip our throats when we were running. We used to use ‘ Vix/ a medicinal preparation that seemed partly to overcome the trouble.”