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CORRESPONDENCE. Contributions will be received at the  Advertiser  Office, or  at  Mr.  Pepperday’s,  under  cover  to  the  “ Editor  of the Meteor." To  the  Editor  of the  Meteor. Sir ,— Before  public  attention  is  entirely-  turned  away from  football,  will you  kindly  allow me to make a few  remarks on tbe pre­ sent state of tbe game ? First  of all, I  wish  to make an  emphatic  protest against a practice which threatens to  grow into a  very serious  evil;  I  mean  that  of  holding  by  the  neck,  or  “ scragging.”  Lookers-on  have  observed  and  remarked  upon the fact that  attempts to  “ tackle ”  are  becoming  more  and  more  reckless  attacks  upon the neck of  the holder  of the  ball.   If  we could only  realize how  very tender,  how  very liable  to  serious  injury, the upper  part  of  the spine is, I  am  sure  that all such  at­ tempts would at once entirely cease. Again, the  opinion  seems to  prevail  that  “ scragging ”  is  the  legitimate  remedy  in  cases of obstinate refusal to  “ have it  down.”  Judging from  the  rules,  which  forbid  “ all  attempts to throttle as totally opposed to the  principles  of  the  game,” I  should  imagine  that hacking— on this occasion only combined  with  holding—is  the  remedy  intended  for  such obstinate cases ;  and indeed, a tradition,  if  not  a  rule,  exists  which  authorises  its  application. Lastly,  I  wish to  point  out  clearly  what  appears to  be the  certain  result  of the  pre­ sent  “ tight  scrummages;”  their  extraor­ dinary compactness is caused by the  custom  which  many  players have  of holding  on  to  those  in front of  them,  sometimes  even  of  grasping the front rank of the opposite  side.  To such an  extent  does this  custom  prevail  that in a scrummage  last  week  no less  than  four strong  arms  were  observed  encircling  one  sturdy  pair  of  shoulders.   Now to  say  nothing  of the  obvious  breach of the  rules  committed  by  holding  a player  who has  not got the ball,   the immediate result  of  this un­ natural tightness is to  prevent  the ball  from  being  taken  "through,   consequently  it  is  “ raked  out”  at  the  sides;  and  already,  I  see, good  forward  players, finding  that  they  are  useless  in the centre of the  scrummage,  have begun to hang about its outskirts, play­ ing  almost  half-back:  by and  by  everyone  will  avoid  the  centre,  and the  scrummage  will  by  slow  degrees  melt  away, and  fall  into disuse. Whether  this  would be  a desirable  con­ summation or not  is a  question  on which  I  offer no  opinion, I  merely wish  to show  to  what  results  the  present  system  must  in­ evitably lead. I am,  Sir, yours faithfully, J. H. D. M. To  the  Editor  of the  Meteor. Sir ,— I  thip.k  your  correspondent “ Psit-  tacus,”  in  bringing  forward  a  torrent  of  crushing argument to make “ O.R. at Oxford ”  feel  small  and  hide  his  diminished  head,  misunderstands that gentleman.   In no other  way  can  I  account  for  his  extraordinary  argument.   He says,  with  reference to  the  School Twenty,  “ If you  ask ‘ Who are they  to play ?’ he answers  ‘ O h! the other Caps of  course.   It would be like the Eleven playing  the Twenty-Two in Cricket.’ ”   He goes  on  to  say in  so  many  words  “ I do not know  what it may be like in cricket, but we do not  want any more matches like  the  Eleven and  Twenty-Two  match  in  football!”   In  this  case  I  do  not  see  what  this  has  to  do  with  it, surely there  is  no  resemblance  be­ tween  the  Eleven  v.  the  Twenty-Two,  and  the  Eleven  and  the  Twenty-Two  v.  the  School!    Neither  is  it  to  the  point  as  far  as  numbers  are  concerned,  for  the  School  Twenty  would  not  be  much  out­ numbered by their opponents; indeed I should  think they would probably make up for more  in  quality  than  their  opponents  would  in  quantity. Without dwelling  on the  (in  my opinion)  manifest  advantages  of  a  School  Twenty;  except  in  so far  as  to  say, that  I  entirely  disagree  with  “ Psittacus ” in  what he says  about  playing  other  Public  Schools, I  beg leave to remain,  Sir, Yours humbly, CARLO. THE  RACQUET  COURT. To the Editor of the Meteor. Sir ,— In  your  last  number  but  one  you  touched  on a subject  which  is a matter  of  great interest  to all  Racquet  players.   No­ body, however, has taken up the glove which  you have thrown down ;  so I venture to sub­ mit the following suggestions to  your readers.  Few will  be so blind to the  faults of  Rugby  as to deny that in  Racquets  we hold  a most  inferior place compared  with  other  Schools.  Old Rugbeians  are  always  well up for  the THE METEOE. 7 Racquet prizes in the Universities, but some­ how they never  get  them.   Critics  say that  we are deficient in wrist  and  style,  that  we  never  take  the  trouble  to  follow  up  our  adversaries’ drops, and that instead of a good  drop just above the line  we  invariably volley  the ball  back  with  all  our  force  above  the  service line.   Now  I do not  think  that  our  Court  is the  sole  cause  of  all  this.   It  is  somewhat dead  and  certainly  too  big;  but  still  these  are faults  on the  right  side  for  beginners.   If  we  can  play  well in a  large  court we shall be sure to  get about  better in  a smaller  one.   The  cause  of our  bad  play  lies first in the difficulty which  good players  find in obtaining the court;  and secondly, in  the want of good models from which to learn  their style. The  first  cause ought  to  be removed  at  once.   It is  better that  a  great  School  like  Rugby  should  send  out  a  few  first-rate  players,  than a  number of inferior ones who  have  no  natural  aptitude  for  playing.   If  this is  granted, we  have  only to  grant  the  best  players  an  opportunity  of  improving  themselves.   It  might  be  effected  in  this  way.   The head  of each House  should  send  up every  year a  list of  the  best players  in  his House.   This list should be  laid before a  Council  of  the  Head  of  the  School,  the  winner  of  the  School  Racquets,  and  the  winners   of  the  House  Racquets.   This  council  should  choose  the  50  best  players,  and, to  prevent  any  unfairness,  the  worst  five  in  the  50  so  chosen  should  be  liable  to not more  than two challenges  each Term.  In  case  he  were  beaten  the  victor  would  take  his  place.   To  prevent  any  foolish  challenges  the  challenge  ought  first  to  be  sanctioned  by  two  members of the Council.  This  plan  might  be  considerably  modified  but  I don’t  think  50 would  be too  small a  number :  and Big-Side might settle whether  three  or  four  days  should  be  given  up  to  them in the week. This,  I think, is  the  best way of  curing  the first eyil;  but  the  second is  no less im­ portant  though I  fear the  Conservatism  of  Rugby will not allow a change in it so easily.  The players want  style.   This  they  cannot  get from occasionally watching good players,  who being unacquainted  with the court,  are  not at home upon it.   This is  only  to be got  from   a  competent  manager.   Why   the  management of our courts, with the  revenua  that can be derived from it, should be tacked  on to the  already  well-paid  office of  cricket  professional  I  have  never  yet  understood. It  is unfair  on  the  School,  unfair  on  any  future  professional,  who,  surely,  will  not  succeed  to  this  iniquity, and  last, but  not  least,  it is  most  nnfair  on those  numerous  racquet markers  who, having  struggled  for  the  Championship,  and  played many  good  matches, naturally look out for some of these  School places  as  the prizes  of their  profes­ sion.   I  have  come  across  many of  them,  especially  that  family  which  has  held  the  Championship of England  for the last  seven  years, and found them  the most  unassuming  and  honest  men  that  I could  wish to  see.  One  of  them  lately  talking  to  me  about  School courts, who is himself going to  Eton,  said that all the good players at the  Univer­ sities   came  up  from   School   (generally  Harrow)  with a  good  style to begin  with,  but  Rugby  men  never.   He  also  told  me  that he would be content to  take any School  situation for nothing, if he had the monopoly  of  balls,  racquets,  &c.   I am  sure  Rugby  would  do  well  to get  a  good marker:  the  fellows would  soon  learn a  good style,  and  he would be  invaluable in  arranging  handi­ caps.   I  will not  now take  up  any more  of  your  space,  but  leave  these  crude  remarks  for discussion.   I  hope  the  subject will  be  well considered.   We have spent near £3000  on  our  Racquet  Court,  and  how  has  the  name  of Rugby  been  benefitted by  it ?   A  new game has  been introduced  merely  that  we may show our own weakness. I am,  Sir, yours obediently, W. L. W. HARE   AND   HOUNDS. To the Editor of the Meteor. December,  1867. Sir ,—As  I  believe  that  no  letter  has yet  appeared in your columns  bearing any refer­ ence to the grievance to which I am about to  refer,  I  think  that  this  letter  might,  not  unreasonably, obtain a comer in your already  well-known paper.   The question that I wish  to ask can easily be answered, namely, What  is the  reason  of the  decadence  of  Big-Side  Runs ?   Why  does  Rugby,  celebrated  in  days long gone by for her Hare and Hounds,  neglect this ancient  institution  in  the  times  of her  prosperity P   The  answer  is  simply  this.   No  encouragement  is  given  to  Big-  Side Runs, and  therefore  fellows,  as  a rule,  do not think it worth while to run them ;  and  even those who do, see that  they can get no  earthly  good  by coming in first,  and  there­ § THE METEOR. fore they do not take the trouble to train.  The  consequence   is  that   about  four  fellows  usually start  with one  hare, and  only about  one of them  comes in.   Is  there no remedy  for  this P   Cannot  Hare  and  Bounds  be  elevated  again  to  its  ancient  importance ?  Let us at all  events  do what  we  can  for it,  and not  suffer  it  to  die  out  utterly.   Why  should  not  the School  give  a  prize  to  the  fellow who has the highest average of coming-  in for the Big-sides of the year, and  another  extra prize for the winner and  second  in the  Crick ?   For  if  the  winner  of  the  mile  receives a prize, much more should the winner  of the Crick, as it is obvious  to the meanest  capacity that running 12 or 13 miles is harder  work  than  running one.   Hoping  that you  will excuse any error that I may have made,  I remain, Yours,  &c., N. or M. To Correspondents .— The  two  letters  from  “ A.M.”  and “ Ne Sutor Supra Crepidam ”  will appear in our next.