The San Francisco call., 1913-10-28
Australian Expert Says That
We Pay Too Much Atten-
ton to Coaches
By GEORGE H. MASON.
Manager of the New Zealand ALL
Riacks.

Blacks.
Rugby football is still in its in
fancy in this state, but that infant is
such "husky"-to use your Ameri-
can phraseology-that | can see that
it is only matter of time before the
infant will be full grown. Besides
being here to play football, my team
also considers we are here as
teachers, missionaries or whatever
else you desire to term us.
With this end in view, with de-
sire to help along this infant, | am
here to do anything possible to ac-
complish the end that will bring
about the desired result
When the San Francisco Call asked
me if | would give my views on
Rugby as played here, and also give
the reading public, as well as the
coaches, players and others, my ideas
on how the back field and the forward
positions should be played, l agreed,
as / consider this an opportunity TO do
considerable missionary work for the
benefit of the game in general and for
the welfare of the boys and men so
deeply interested In learning the
game.
TOO MUCH COACHING
In writing this series of articles 1
do so with some hesitancy, as to
bring out the good / feel that truths
should prevail The truth sometimes
hurts, but l do not for one minute
wish 1T to be taken that my remarks
nj a individual
What l have to say is general in
scope and covers all teams that have
seen in action up to the present.
speak on matters as l see them as
an outsider and will give you the
benefit of my experience on Rugby,
which is the experience of life time.
We New Zealanders do not claim
to know everything about the game
no one can ever know 1t all. We are
always willing to learn, and if the
local players or coaches can teach us
anything or show US anything new
about the game we shall be equally
as willing to learn as / am to en-
deavor to tell the San Francisco peo-
pie a few things about the game that
1 know and as | see it.
To my way of thinking the coach
ing and training of the teams here
is overdone. That, however, is ac-
tOunItu lOTr OI COuISty ny IOtdl COI1-
dttions While we fail to see the use
of so much coaching, 1t is evident that
your followers of the game-colle-
gians in particular-fail to see why
we do not have coaches, a lot of un-
necessary trainers, rubbers, etc.
The reason is that we make football
our pleasure, while you make it
serious business. We have our train
ers to condition racehorses, but can
hardly put Rugby football in that
class.
Individualism with us is lost sight
of by the knowledge that every man
is member of a team, but here again
we differ in our methods to the local
methods in that, while our men realize
they are members of team, we do
not try to evolve that machinelike
play should be driven into the local
collegians' heads
Your methods along these lines are
wrong. Your men are taught that
the great thing in Rugby is for each
man to consider he is a cog of a
wheel. To a certin point that is
right, but when you say to man,
when you are collared, pass the
ball" that method is wrong.
Why not let the man use his own
head in such a case. 1t may be that a
high punt would be better than pass
If he can get one away when cornered.
Or a cross kick might be the means