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If there was one single facet of play which lost the Wallabies the game on Saturday night against England, it was the scrum.
Ever since the Rugby World Cup in 2013 our scrum has not been up to Test-match standard.
The Wallabies were penalised five times for scrum infringements.
Forget whether the penalties were deserved or not. Forget refereeing errors. That is not the issue.
If the scrum had been dominant Australia would have won that game.
A dominant scrum does not just win clean ball.
As was shown last night, it causes the opposition to be penalised for a weak scrum.
A dominant scrum also causes tired legs in the opposition in the last 20 minutes of the match.
It causes gaps in the defensive line as a consequence. Lastly and probably most importantly it causes the opposition pack to doubt itself.
In short, a dominant scrum wins matches and a weak scrum loses them.
Then why, oh why, have we had an appalling scrum for at least the last 10 years?
Why does Ben Alexander pack with his head below the level of his hips?
Why does Benn Robinson have a beer belly?
Why do our loose forwards stop pushing before the ball is out?
Why does every referee on the international circuit consistently penalise the Wallabies more than their opponents and yet we blame the refs?
Why has this occurred under the tutelage of a hooker in Eddie Jones and now continues under a tighthead prop in Ewen McKenzie?
Why did John O’Neill get paid an obscene amount of money to administer the game and yet not correct this basic flaw?
Why do flashy backs with no substance like James O’Connor get paid twice what a prop gets?
I don’t know the answer to those questions.
But what I do know is that Australia will forever be a second-rate Test match team, destined to talk a better game than it plays, unless something is done to remedy the situation.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.