. _ [To the Editor of the SpEuraron..] .
Sirt,—Mr.- Hamilton Fyfe's article hi your issue of February 2nd - is most interesting, but it' makes one feel keenly how -much Rugger has fallen away Since Hely Almond's days. I am now " some old " to play; but watch a game occasionally and come away- disgusted. What do I see ? • • • Sixteen of the -thirty players (the forwards) from- start, to finish play all through " -offside." If the majority of -the players are now allowed to-play offside, why not -allow- the other fourteen to •do so ? Hardly anyone- ." drop kicks," a ball ; everyone " puntsi" which was absolutely taboo in, my young days-; "any fool can ,` -print " but it takes - a lot • of pati6ntpractiee before-you can drop kick quickly with either -foot.- (But then -think .of the delight of winning a school Match by dropping a goal daring the last five- minutes !) • Then the three-quarters---"ranneri pure and -simple ! - They may be able to kick a football, -but they give no evidence -of I& Any man nowadays can start playing when-he is twenty years of age, and if he is of good-physique-and a fast runner he may Ma year or two be a " star " three-quarter.- All he has to do is to catch the ball when: it is handed to -him, .rtm with it and scramble over with it just beside the corner flag— and his try counts three points, though he has not a thimble- ful of football in his whole-composition. - Tries are everything nowadays,- goals nothing, or nearly •so.; why not do away with goal -posts altogether ? Personally I should• make one goal count more than any number of tries. Two things I should like to see abolished from: niodern -Rugger :— (1) Heeling (and consequent offside referred to above).
(2) A man being allowed to fall on the ball to stop a rush by the opposing fotWards'; make him pick it up (if he sari) and pass it or try to get through, and if he failed to do this, drOPthe- ball instantly and lei the forwards Lave their Chance.' .1 wonder" if Hely Ahriond ever elaimecito be the originator lithe present aningernent of the three-quarters. In 1878:44 or 1874-75, Loretto were a weak side, but had one exceptionally good player; .04.r! a big fast three-quarter. In those days we played two halves, two three-quarters and two full-backs, all standing more or less right -behindthe serum, to meet the attack of the opposing forwards. In order to make the most of " Mr. Almond put, him out some twenty yards to the .left. (or right) of the, scrum ; we did not notice_ the arrange- . went . at first, but after about _twenty minutes' play one, of their half-backs got the ball and threw it right out to,." .1," and before we realized what had happened he, with a more or less. clear course, was touching down behind our posts ! ,Of course.we soon " tumbled " to .the arrangement, and moved up one of our backs to be ,opposite 51.," one was Jett behind the serum, and the other was moved out on the other side. That was the origin of two halves, tiriee three- ., quarters and one full-back, and this formation was adopted and played by all. the English schools for many years. (We called them quarter-backs, half-lineks and full-backs in those
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