FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1922, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

A SPRINGBOK’S OPINION. Mr. T. B. Pienaar’s summary of the Springbok’s tour:—“Those All Black tactics and styles of play that sounded so formidable to our uniniated ears were not nearly so terrifying when viewed at close quarters. Good hard players they certainly are, but not such world beaters as they were boomed to be. Admittedly their standard of ’ play was not so high as of yore—the Great War had seen to that—but we were equally affected by it. Their back play has languished owing to the over-ex-ploitation of the forward and the wing forward. All their backs seem to do is to cut in or to kick high and charge down. The All Blacks are splendid opportunists and the side making the slightest error is in danger. Their forwards follow up very fast and depend on the opposition to make a slip. But as for a general attack that seems to be sadly lacking. Boot, boot, boot on to the opposing backs, rattle them and slip through. The wing forward is a past master at this. But it does all seem so haphazard, so devoid of generalship, so lacking in those beautiful executed movements to which we are accustomed. Effective it but spectacular —Well! I do not decry our late opponents. They are formidable. But I view .with quiet confidence the result of our meeting them on African soil, provided that our Board sets its house in order in good time, and sees to it that it will not be caught napping.”