MAORI RUGBY 1958

Te Ao Hou, July 1958, Page 45

MAORI RUGBY 1958 by PAUL POTIKI Judging by the number of Maoris who hold regular places in provincial football teams the overall standard of Maori rugby looks to be extremely high. Additional evidence of this can also be seen in the fact that Maoris have made the grade in the very strongest Unions and by the regular appearance of Maori players in recent All Black sides. Despite this gathering strength, however, the last two seasons have seen superficially strong Maori teams not only beaten but also thoroughly demoralised. It would have been unrealistic to have expected the Maoris to win against the Springboks but, Asian flu notwithstanding, the thrashing from Fiji last year indicates the need for a stocktaking. It would be wrong and indeed unfair, to lay the whole of the blame at the door of the selectors and players but at the same time little good will be served by ignoring their errors and defects. Judged by international standards Maori football, both on the field and administratively suffers from immaturity. The players often fail to apply themselves absolutely to the task in hand—victory; parochialism still plays its part in selection and there is an evident management belief that loose, open football can successfully be pitted against the tight, ruthless machinery common to most international football. There is an attitude of ‘near enough’ which basically has brought about our poor record. There are other basic weaknesses however. For instance, if we do have a national physical characteristic, it is our short heavy legs, over-muscled hips and flattish feet. What is important however is that international rugby calls for speed above average and speed does not normally go with squat heavy legs and flat feet. Thus we begin with a natural disadvantage. The rural nature of Maori football also contributes to lack of success. Many country players have a pronounced flair or natural brilliance. Often it is enough to make them show up in trials but when they are injected into higher, more competent company, their lack of polish and self-discipline on the field leaves them vulnerable. Maori teams and Maori players in other teams tend for one reason or another to play far too loosely. Indeed most Maori forwards who make the grade in city clubs are in the loose positions and it has often been necessary to field props and side row men in the lock position in Maori All Black teams. In fact since the decline of Lance Hohaia and except for the brief appearance of Stan Hill we have not had a lock even approaching All Black standard. Bearing all these facts in mind it might be unreal to expect too much of the managers, selectors and coaches but they too have committed basic errors. For instance the South Island tour in 1956 was not used as a training ground for tactical preparation to meet the Springboks. It was a tour in isolation as it were where the object seemed to be to win games and please the public. There was little or no organised training of the team that met the Springboks. The team was not finalised until the eleventh hour and little attempt was made to develop the will to win so necessary in international preparation. The team that toured Australia this year was lucky enough to have Frank Kilby as manager. Frank has captained New Zealand twice in Australia. He is a shrewd tactician but above all he is a man who extracts the most from the talent available. Ron Bryers, the assistant manager, knows his forward play and the two formed a sound combination. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆