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I don’t know if I necessarily believe it when I say this, and could be convinced otherwise, but rugby union would be better off with rugby league scrums.
There, I’ve said it, now time to defend myself.
I came to this conclusion while watching the All Blacks versus Wales game on Sunday morning. I’m not sure if I was tired or clear minded though because scrums are the joke of rugby league.
They look ridiculous, almost always are won by the team with the loose head and feed (bar the occasional push – see the Warriors’ Round 18 game against the Eels) and look utterly pointless.
But, they do serve a purpose. The point of the scrum in my eyes is to reward one team for another’s mistake that didn’t warrant a penalty. This is exactly what rugby league scrums do, they give the deserved team possession and a set platform from which the backs can attack.
The forwards are all sucked in to one ‘mob’ for lack of a better word and the backs have space to play a running game. This is what everyone wants isn’t it? A beautiful running game where points are scored.
On the other hand we have union scrums that are constantly getting toggled with by the game’s governing body the IRB. It seems like every year we have a new call by the referee when the scrum is underway – crouch, hold, engage. Touch, pause, engage. Crouch, bind, set, engage. Why not stand there, put the ball in and get it over with?
Are scrums really worth being reset once, twice, three times before a penalty is awarded to the team who won the lucky dip? Even the commentators, players and coaches don’t know who scrum penalties should go to. It seems like the rules have changed so much they just accept the referees’ decisions at scrum time because they simply can’t keep up.
During Saturday morning’s game each scrum was reset at least once. I didn’t count the scrums but in the first 20 minutes this annoyed me and I noticed it so there must have been a few. It took a lot of time out of the game for what in theory should be a good spectacle – watching two 1000-kilogram packs of muscle try to push each other off a ball.
The reality is that it never turns out this way and it ends with a half collapsed pile of people, the front rowers with sore necks and funny looking ears, and either a penalty, a reset, or the team who should be rewarded for forcing a mistake instead getting messy ball for their backs and losing ground.
I believe the game would be a much better spectator sport if they gave up on trying to get the scrum right as it doesn’t seem to be working. They should adopt the league scrum. The forwards pack down, stay there and the backs can use a set move.
Also, it would make way for a fitter and faster game, the props in the game could be taller, faster players to get to the ruck/maul quicker and the hookers become another playmaker like their league counterparts. Or all three could be more like loose forwards as their body shape wouldn’t be needed come scrum time.
I’ve only really thought of one side of this hypothetical change in the game so please point out where I’ve gone wrong. But to me it seems like a no-brainer to speed up the game and have a more open, exciting show for the punters in the crowd and at home.
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.