BEFORE THE INVASION
GIANTS OF SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY, by A. C. Parker; A. H. and A. W. Reed, 16/-. THE TALK, by Maxwell Price; A. H. and A. W. Reed, 16/-. W ITH a Springbok invasion imminent, these two books may help us to understand why South Africans have reached their present pre-eminence in Rugby. From the many revealing anec-
dotes, as well as the considered opinions expressed, it is possible to appreciate the serious and thoughtful Springbok approach to the changing techniques and problems of the game. Very impressive, too, is evidence of the infinite pains taken to master the essentials, often by solitary unremitting practice. Parker devotes half his book to an entertaining account of the Lions’ 1955 tour of the Union, the remainder dealing with eleven outstanding Springboks, including Gerhard Morkel, "Boy" Louw, Danie Craven, D. O. Williams and Phil Mostert, who all played in this country either in 1921 or 1938. Louw and Mostert select the best forwards they ever played against. In his nine, Louw
includes the New Zealanders Ron Stewart, W. E. Hazlett and R. M. McKenzie, while Mostert’s six include Maurice Brownlie, Ron Stewart and E. A. Bellis. ‘Maxwell Price has set out to write a new kind of text book on Rugby by getting twenty Springboks to give their views on how to play the game in the particular positions in which they formerly excelled. Some of these chapters are much better than others, and it is not surprising to find Danie Craven excelling on half-back play. There is inevitably much repetition and some incompatible views that may puzzle the young player. Realising that this multiplicity of counsel may be bewildering, Maxwell Price attempts to summarise the fundamentals in the concluding chapters. The generous sprinkling of anecdotes makes this book an interesting if not altogether successful experiment in exposition. Both books are attractively produced and have some really good action photo-
graphs.
R. G.
Wilson
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 34, Issue 870, 6 April 1956, Page 13
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323BEFORE THE INVASION New Zealand Listener, Volume 34, Issue 870, 6 April 1956, Page 13
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