Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-02
WALTER CAhR
ON RUGBY AND
SOCCER GAMES

; Among other things that Walter
Camp, the noted football expert, has
to say about the 1913 football season.
he paints in Golfers Weekly a picture
If having some of the New Zea' anf-
ers who played on the Pacific coast
recently perform on an American foot
! ball eleven In the capacity of ends
and the four backs. He Is led to the
suggestion by the fact that "Ameri-
can players have INDUCED In their own
game so long that it is well nigh Inn
possible to persuade an American back
to spend the necessary time in &C.
tquiring skill at passing mot alone for
ward passing. but passing back.
"A convincing experiment. Camp
goes on to say, would be TO take six
of these New Zealanders and put them
on one of our varsity teams In the
| East in the following positions: Ends,
! the quarter, two half-backs and the
fulLbacks. Then, after two or three
days practice. team made up Of
an all-American team from tackle
ito tackle and with these half-dozen
New Zealanders, would probably be
able to score so rapidly as to open the
eyes of all our American players to
/. the possibilities of the passing game.
IF Captain Mcdonald OF the New
Zealanders would send along Taylor,
Gray, McGregor, Lynch, WyIie and
George Sellars, It would be an ex.
tremely interesting proposition to see
them handle our Rugby football I'm.
der our present forward-passing rules.
Rugby Passing Game.
The superiority of the passing brand
+ of football is what has appealed to
the Californian In the adoption Of the
straight English Rugby rules, II
seems, and the fact that the car Of
American football, as Camp has been
referred to- now appreciates this phase
Of the game Is point that should
bind lovers Of Rugby to Rugby, and a
point that may cause other members
of the football fraternity to pause for
consideration of the style of football
that has proved success In Califor-
mia, as it certainly has.
The art Of passing and handling the
leather is one Of the biggest factors
IN the execution Of good Rugby play,
ing. It is what opens up the game
and gives elasticity to the art Of per.
fecting Individual and combined ef.
forts of players
It is hard to take Camps picture
literally, however, for the clever New
Zealanders. used as they are to out.
lodging. outspeeding and outwitting
opponents by their individual art,
would find it hard. If not impossible,
to follow or give interference with any
degree of perfection. They would I'M.
doubtedly be able to teach the East
something in the football line.
Pleads for Attack
Their whirlwind execution OF the
fascinating game would have created
a Juror with an unbiased public, to be
sure, and it Is to be regretted that the
All-BIacks could not have been sent
on East to exhibit, even though the
high art of their perfection would
hardly have been appreciated by a
public uneducated to Rugby. Perhaps
1t Is that we look to the colonial
brand of ball as the ideal rather than
the game as played In England Is re-
sponsfble for the fact that straight
Rugby has not been reverted to for at
least trial by the East before this
time where they have the English
idea III J.. ~.e
Another point brought out by Camp
Is the necessity of developing attack.
To those who know and have played
both American and Rugby styles of
football, the dead line drawn between
defense and attack is one of the
weaknesses of the game under Amer
lean rules. The motto of the best
Rugby teams is that the best means
of defense is attack-a confusing
statement to those not understanding
Rugby, but nevertheless a theory that
rings true when put to the practical
test. 49,. ...sl-- ID su
Attack Best Defense. %z
If American football needs more at.
lacking leeWay, according to Camp,
the Rugby fan adds that the game
needs lot more, enough, in fact, 70
keep the ball on the go in such way
that attack pure and simple is the
basis of success and speed the most
essential attribute of attack
Probably the most serious and
fairly based criticism of the present
rules" says Camp, SIS that with first.
class teams, it is too difficult to get
over the goal line when the ball has
been brought up inside the 25-yard
line. 1t is also an admitted fact that
people who care for the American
game of football are beginning to
miss that thrill which comes from the
definite progress of the team after II
passes the 25-yard line and continues
to make its way toward the sacred
precincts Of its opponents goal
Camp seems to have great faith in
the forward pass and terms the Notre
Dame IS, Army 13 game as one OF
the most enlightening Of the season
He points to the fact that three men
BACK Eicheniaub, Quarter Dorals
and End Rockne made Notre
Danes season success Camp says
the forward pass is unfathonied Ii
its possibilities and pleads for Its de:
yeiopment: