RUGBY FOOTBALL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1940, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

[PROSPECTS IN NEW ZEALAND ! MR S. S. DEAN OPTIMISTIC. 1 > NEED FOR RETURN TO OLD METHODS. I I Mr S. S. Dean, chairman of the I New Zealand Rugby Union, in ad- , dressing, a large meeting of members of the Rotary Club and a number of ex-Wairarapa footballers and ex-officials who were guests yesterday afternoon, expressed the opinion that the future for New Zealand Rugby was very bright, that the slump period had passed away, but that it was essential in order that New Zealand should again lead Hie world in Rugby football that some of the innovations of recent years should be discarded and the old principles associated with play brought into operation again. Mr Doan said that ho was not ai all pessimistic in regard io the future of Rugby football in New Zealand: on the* contrary the outlook was particularly bright, and in litis connection the experience which would, be gained by the. New Zealand Army team in its matches abroad during the war period would assist very materially to improve the game in the Dominion. He said it must be admitted that there had been a slump in New Zealand football but he considered that that period was passing away. Other attractions had led to the deterioration of play in New Zealand and he was of opinion that the groat rival of Rugby football was golf which was what one might term a selfish game, lacking the team spirit and lite need of unselfish play. There were too many young and able men playing golf today who would make excellent, footballers and who could assist by i joining the Rugby ranks to bring the game up to a very high level. The principal cause of the deterioration of New Zealand Rugby, said Mr Dean, was the departure from the old principles which had made Now Zealand teams in. the past famous. They had had the League bogey in front of (hem and following on the idea that it was necessary to speed up the game had adopted methods which made forwards function similarly to backs in handling and passing the ball. Experience had shown that tho adoption of this method of playing had brought about a deterioration in tite game in Now Zealand. They would have to go back to the style of play where the forwards dribbled I the ball and functioned as they did before tho advent of the introduction of “opening up the game" tactics, leaving the backs Io open up. the play and indulge in regular passing methods. New Zealand had forsaken her sound Rugby play policy for • the “opening up the game" methods, whereas South Africa had discarded the Benny Osler methods and adopted those which the New Zealand team had introduced into South Africa during its last tour. South Africa in its last tour of New Zealand had beaten New Zealand because it had adopted the old New Zealand tactics while New Zealand had fallen for those methods which South Africa had discarded. Mr Doan said that tho 2-3-2 scrum formation was the most perfect provided the other side played the same formation, but three front row mon would practically always beat two front row men. al] things being equal Consequently New Zealand had to stick to the three front row mon if she desired an equal chance to get the ball in iho scrum. Followers'of Rugby need not be at all surprised to see the day not far dislant when Rugb.v teams would play fourteen men aside. The war was bringing' Rugby and League players closer together and iho New Zealand Rugby Union had given a dispensation lor Rueby Players in the New Zealand Army teams to participate with League players in playing football while overseas. i,/r Al k tllinfis . t3ken into consideration. Mr Doan said that he was decidedly ‘ ol tho opinion that a substantial improvement in the standard of play in : Rugby in New Zealand could be looked forward to in the near future and me Dominion once more produce out- ' standing combinations such as tho®o of : 1905 and 1924. -m0..e0i,.