1932-10-08 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1932.

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CURRENT SPORTING GOSSIP

Is Rugby Being Ruined By Over-Specialisation?

CRICKET OLD

AND NEW MEN

OUR BIG TASK IN AUSTRALIA.

Modern Forward Play Natural By R. C. ROBERTSON-GLASGOW.

and Sound in Theory

By HOWARD MARSHALL.

is the custom of the English to

depreciate their own abilities and to speak pessimistically of their

The International Rugby Boardjand as long ago as 1905 David chances in all international encoun- have shaken us out of our Summer Gallaher, of the first All Blacks, ters. In no sport is this 'more pain- lethargy with a vengeance by their showed us how far forward special-fully evident than in cricket. circular letter to players.. Briefly, isation could be carried. For years

To sit, as one does from time to this unexpected letter is a ples for there have been specialist players the abolition of fixed places in the in the scrummage, and ever since time, in the pavilion at Lord's, is scrummage, based on the assumpthe war fixed places have been re-almost to be a guest at a funeral tion that forward specialisation la garded as essential in the highest breakfast (without the fun), or to harming both the spirit and the grades of Rugby football.

be an assistant at a more than traditions of Rugby football..

A GOOD PRINCIPLE.

It is an odd eruption, a little It seems to me, moreover, that usually grimy post-mortem. vague and inconsequential, with only by intelligent spécialisation can Optimiam, in that mausoleum, nothing particularly original about the most efficient scrummaging ma-flies affrighted, and to suggest that it, but it does become a significant chine be produced, and that such a Larwood is really fast (which he and even startling document when machine will cause neither unreces-

we consider it as an official admissary delays nor infringements,1s), to compare. Hammond with

eion that all is not well with the Look, for example, at the English A. C. Maclaren, or to prefer Sut- game. We are

not accustomed to pack some ten years ago, when it cliffe to Shrewsbury, is rather like such admissions from the Rugby was composed of such players a laughing in church. Horrified old Union legislators, and at once, we Luddington, 'Gardner, Edwards, Con-- are forced to take stock of the way, Cove-Smith, Wakefield, Voyce, gentlemen rally round the heretic- position.

Blakiston. Did we hear "of no doubt causing a player's” „, dis-] Clearly, such an unprecedented unnecessary delays and infringe missal en passant behind the bow- attempt to check the natural evolu-ments round the rummage in ler's arm-and regale him with the tion of the game could only have those days?

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sort or another, but unfor- had a pack which" worked hard in pad-play and Grace and Kortright | CELEBRATED" turately the letter is not suffelently the tight, heeled quickly and cleanly, and all the verbal apparatus of explicit. It deplores over-specialisa- and was devastating in the open, prejudiced anachronism. tion, but does not define it, and it despite the fact that every man in bewails certain difficulties arising that pack was a specialist. from £xed places in the scrummage|

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have to infer, therefore, that the modern forward is a dishonest fel- low, more concerned with sharp practice in the serummage than with genuine work throughout the game,

the

This is my point, then, that specialisation la ‘a na fural stage in the "game's evolution," and that in prin- ciple it is demonstrably sound. Possibly the board are really of the same opin- ion, since they direct their attack against over-speciali- sation, which is a very dif- ferent matter."

Who, will deny that great players live in every age? That W. G. Grace remains the supreme master of all time? He was the creator of cricket as 'a money-making spectacle, a.classical monument more enduring than bronze. Of course, Kortright's speed was terrific.

NO DELIBERATE EVASION." To give the board their due, I

But what these stagnant reaction- gather that this dishonesty is at- tributed to a general misconception LESSON FROM SPRINGBOKS, aries will not see, or try to see, is of the laws, and not to any de-. There is no doubt that in one that science mores and fluctuates, liberate policy of evasion. Part of sense over-specialisation has caused that a system of attack, as in real responsibility, moreover, is a deterioration in forward play, and war, must change that the off- shelved upon the unhappy referee, here the board's attack is entirely spinners of yesterday have given who has apparently failed to admin- justified. It was evident last son- place to the swervers and googlies ister the somewhat involved Law 16 son, and the Springbok specialista and leg-breaks of to-day, to ba Face this truth. It is no use and its sub-sections with adequate drove the lesson home, that in con- severity.

centrating on aecuring the ball our merely damning it, or crying like over the golden past. Now, what do the board mean by forwards have forgotten the need old babies over-specialisation? The term is a for co-ordinated and unremitting Analyse the new technique; observe loose one, and thus unsatisfactory, work. To remedy this the board that Don Bradman is the very soul for it implies that up to a pour wish to revive the old principle of of modern batting, Bradman who condoned. first up first down," and when they has, at the age of 28, created records specialisation may be Unfortunately, its functions are not advocate this slogan for school which he will possibly never sur- limited in the letter, and we are left boys they are most certainly right. pass.

to determine them for ourselves. There should be no fixed places in Possessed of every stroke, he, yet As most of my readers know, every school-boy packs, but in club foot- uses in the Tests only about a third forward in a modern pack has clear-bat, among more experienced play of them-late cute, leg deflections, ly defined duties, and packs down in ers, specialisation: can surely be and forward pushes, defence with particular place when a tight intelligently directed. What we pads as well as bat; so armed he scrummage is formed. There is need, instead of the abolition of has defied the world. He goes to man who specialises in hooking the fixed places, is a general recon- Canada and America, and there, free ball, and he has on either side of sideration of the bed-rock principles from timeless battles, releases for him a forward chosen to make up a upon which sound scrummaging is spectatorial purposes every stroke known to the game, to show that sturdy and compact front row. The based.

two second-row players are selected If the board's letter brings the art of a bygone day le still with for their strength in order that they about such a necessary recon-us puny moderns.

{alderation, it will indeed have||| The deductionis plain. The may effectively transmit the weight from the back row, and the three served a most valuable purpose, and primary duty, the unavoidable ob- back-row forwards should have to this extent it is helpful and time- ject, in modern Test cricket, speed and intelligence for their ly. Incidentally, I have said nothing especially in Australia, is not to get carefully-planned activities in the about the board's admonitions to out. "Stay there," said Ranit, “and lopen

after the scrummage has referees, though I imagine that the runs will come," broken up.

referees will reply that it is virtual-

~TOO SWEEPING,

- These "fixed" places, the board" wish to abolish, and, although we all sympathise with their purpose, I cannot

ly impossible for Law 15 (L) as it When you are in Melbourne you stands to be strictly enforced. The must do as the Woodfulls and Grim

ever bowler more aptly serummage laws by themselves call mette

for another article, but in the mean named while let us

have at least

doubtedly harming

the board tanned

ww atten-P

Dour nning

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counter

ARTHUR CARR TO TAKE TEAM

help feeling that theirtion to tende attack upon modern theory is "too sweeping to be entirely convincing and too belated to be completely effectiven Those who have not followed the evolution of the game. closely mi justifiably assume that for [specialisati

ment, and that ping in

existence they

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