The San Francisco call., 1910-08-14

men made a decided hit with the Aus
tralian public, and these were features
of the play concerning which they were
able to teach the men OF the southern
seas.
The Australians and New Zealanders
are probably the greatest expOnents OF
the Rugby game In the world. Bearing
this IN mind, the following criticism
from an authority on the game as to
why the American team failed will be
interesting:
AT present" SAYS the Sydney Mail OF
June %, "the inherent knowledge OF
what to do and when to do 1T, which
comes to the player who has learned
Rugby in his childhood. is absent in the
Americans. They are q little late in
nearly all their movements and the
delay, slight as IL Is, which creepS
in. allows the opposing side to get on
to them. At taking opportunities the
team was slow. and this factor ham
pered them considerably"
The above criticism covers grave
fault, and until American players know
just what to do on the spur Of the
moment they will not be able TO COM
pete successfully with the more expert
enced players from Australia, New
Zealand or Great Britain. That these
there is not the least doubt. but such
things. small though they may seem to
the uninitiated public IN this country.
make all the difference in the world
during the course OF a game against
such experts as the Australians are.
The mot taking opportunities" and ths
knowledge Of what to do and when to
do It" are the only things that ara
lacking to the ultimate success OF tha
Americans In winning the champion
ship of the world on the Rugby football
field.
In regard to physical ability. no
country in the world can give US any
pointers. The team in Australia has
been called physically perfect COM
bination," and the Individual mem
bers OF 1t were without doubt a really
finely set up bunch OF athletes. char
acteristic Of the typical American
university men.
In stamina the team was the equal
of the Australians. but in strategy and
the working out Of attacking and de-
fensive problems on the spur of the
moment, their four years experience
has not been enough to counterbalance
the experience Of the Australians.
which extends over a lifetime. In that
machinelike combination that is so
necessary to the success OF a Rugby
team the members showed to consider
able advantage at times, though there
were more times when the men were
cornered, and that knowledge of what
TO do" was lacking.
No matter what branch of sport IL
Is that the American athlete under
takes, he eventually gets there" and
this is going to be true Of the Rugby
game of football. We IN America go
in for everything with an exactness
and. tboroughness and system that the
foreigners marvel at. but it is just this
thoroughness and close attention to
the smallest detail that eventually en-
able Uncle Sans representatives TO
dominate the world In all things.
The American athlete Is a versatile
man and can adapt himself to condi-
tions and requirements more quickly
than the athlete OF other countries.
and when he starts out to master any
particular branch of sport, not even
his own prejudices will mitigate
against his eventually attaining his
goal.
That the footbalIers Of California
and Nevada were prejudiced against
this Rugby invasion, there is not the
least doubt, and the feeling against
the game, particularly in 1906, was
very bitter. II was. however. a case
OF play Rugby or no football"
AS year by year the players became
more proficient at the game. their dis
likes and prejudfces were overcome
and today on ths Pacific coast there IS
not one OF the Original or later con-
verts TO the Rugby code that would
return to the truly American code OF
football.
That the Rugby code has features
that appeal to the public is attestsd
by the enormous crowds that witness
each game. The games which the
Americans played in Australia were
frequently witnessed by $4,000 per-
sons.
The game now has a firm hold and
interest is spreading rapidly In all di-
rections. Now that the American
team has played with a good deal OF
success in the home OF Rugby football.
Australia and New Zealand against
some Of the strongest clubs and play
ers in the world and the critics OF
Australia have so highly cOmplimented
the ability of this country at the
game and made the prediction that in
~ course OF few years this country
would hold pride of place as cham
pion Rugby country of the world. il
behooves the players to put renewed
energy into their work and make
these predictions a reality.
Can these predictions be fulfilled?
The writer says yes. and that within
five years the Rugby playing nations
Of the world will have to take of their
hats to America and acknowledge
team composed of players developed
at the California universities TO be
without peer.