The San Francisco call., 1913-10-29
BY GEORGE H. MASON
New Zealand All-Blacl<a

Manager New Zealand All-Blacks
Local Rugby teams have prac-
tically only one method of attack.
showing q lack of versatility.
This all comes under the ideas I
expressed yesterday and only
goes to show that your coaches do
not encourage the players to use
their own heads. / am told that
If q man goes into a game and
does not carry out the instruc-
tions of his coach, he stands a
very good chance of being fired of
the squad
To my mind the coach who does
this is undoubtedly throwing off
one of the brainiest men on the
team. I admire the player who is
able to go on the field and use his
head and bring out a play which
is different TO that taught and ex-
pected. Because coach says a
man shall play such and such a
way, 1t does not follow that the
coach Is right.
1t may be that the player in
game sees an opportunity to solve
In6 pFoDlefn with idF 6lcdtCi
benefit to his team than what the
coaches ideas have in view. If
fellow wants to use his head, let
him. Then you will see your game
develop.
The methods OF your coaching
are apparent In every game We
have played. Take the passing of
your men. Every team we have
played against shows the same
weakness. The men are taught
to pass in only one direction. and
only on very rare occasions has
this been the exception.
SHOULD STUDY PLAY
Every time there Is a passing
rally your men shoot the ball
out to their left. What Is more
simple on such occasions than for
our men to get on the working
side and nip the pass? There is
no necessity for US to watch the
blind side at all. You always
keep the blind side closed and
never try to work it. Further
more, the pass is always made by
all players with the same elabo-
rate methods, which bring about
loss of energy.
There is no attempt to feint
or BLUM the opposition. Your
players always pass to the man
nearest to him. whether that man
is in a position to take pass or
not. Why not use your heads
and see which man is best situ-
ated to receive the pass? Why
not try to send the ball some
times, not to the man nearest
you. but d man three or four
places away? Try these things;
practice them, and see what re-
suits will be obtained.
Playing the man rather than
the ball is quite evidently leg
acy Of the old game. There is
nothing we enjoy more than a
hard. strenuous game. but our
strenuous efforts do not go be-
yond the law.
We always keep within the law
when 1t comes to tackling or
kicking. The laws do not permit
the players being kicked to death,
but the laws do allow you to kick
the ball from here to New Zealand
and back and kill as many ovals
as you please. Kick the ball, not
LlAC man.
LOCALS MAKE MISTAKES
The laws distinctly state that
you can not tackle man until he
has possession of the ball. Here,
however. our men are tackled
when the ball is yards from them.
They are tackled on the lineouts
when the ball Is flying over their
heads to q point half way across
the field and 30 yards from where
they are standing.
Our men are tackled when run
ming down the field dribbling the
ball. We are tackled at the most
inopportune moments and without
provocation. as 1t were. We do
not mind getting a hard tackle
and taking a hard fall, but we
do most strenuously object TO