Book of football

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THE FORWARD GAME
75
in passing with the foot to a comrade better placed,
just as much as passing with the hands by the backs
encourages the same virtue.
There is no place in games so good for a clumsy boy
as the scrum. Most of his fellows there will object to
this suggestion, since a vigorous boy who is all elbows,
knees, and feet can do quite a lot of healthy damage
to his comrades' noses and shins in a very short space
of time. But, educationally, there is no doubt of the
value of the scrum in the case of the boy who, when in
a drawing-room, is like a bull in a china-shop, and
who cannot pass by a table without knocking over the
flower-vase that is upon it.
The point I am coming to is that to produce the best
results there must be such combination between the
forwards and backs that the opponents cannot feel
safe from attack by either dribbling, rush, or passing
advance. As a modern example, the best I can cite
is that of the Harlequin Club in London, whose oppon-
ents are in the happy position of fearing only serious
attack by backs. Fortunate in the possession of the
fastest set of halfs and threequarters who perhaps
have ever been seen in the ranks of a single club fifteen,
the Harlequins' " game " is to attack by backs under
any and every conceivable set of circumstances. To
them a promising passing advance by their opponents
is always looked upon as a possible chance for them-
selves in attack should the opposition make the least
faux pas.
No side of recent years, except the New
Zealanders, has made so much of a slight mistake
by one of their opponents as the Harlequins have
been in the habit of doing for the past two seasons.
In this their forwards have helped in a very con-
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