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Welcome back! This is the forum for Roarers to share their thoughts, fears and (happy) tears about the scrum. Everybody is welcome to share: which scrummagers and teams are the best?
Who is the fairest? They are not always the same thing.
Please feel free to review the introduction article of the Scrumma-mogram.
A comparative study of Argentina vs Italy and the Waratahs vs Blues
Up until the 2013 rule change, watching scrums wa like watching two rams mindlessly bash each other, to win the female sheep. The difference was the ewe had a much better idea who the deserving opponent was.
This year, it regressed somewhat. Packs are trying to replicate the ultra-low Argentina and Italy-style scrums. Also,‘the hit’ is starting to re-emerge, which will be scrumma-mogrammed next week. Both are causing more resets than an old Windows 3.1 computer.
In the meantime we can have a look at the scrummaging that everyone is trying to emulate. The match was played in Genoa, November last year. This video also includes a review of the Waratahs scrum form, including Hooper and Skelton’s scrum last weekend. Are they on course? What do you think?
Diggercane says:
Argentina vs Italy: What is apparent to me is how good scrummaging can be if both Teams take a positive attitude into the set piece, something Brett McKay alluded to recently. Okay, I admit I am ignoring the first half shenanigans but it still shows what is possible, and on a clearly unsuitable pitch.
Waratahs vs Blues: What stands out to me is the change from the Waratahs’ scrum from last season where it was widely mocked as the team’s weak link to now having made significant improvements.
With Kane Douglas leaving, it was widely assumed that the scrum would suffer more but Captain Dave Dennis has stepped up to the plate in this area. Also the drastic improvements Will Skelton has made to his game in this area should be noted and if he can perhaps transfer this to the Test arena there are positive signs for what has been a problem area for the Wallabies.
DaffyD says:
Argentina vs Italy: Two great scrums contests and exactly what we all would be happy to see at scrum time.
Even though the Argentinian loose head prop has head below his waist, and even has his elbow on the ground, he doesn’t unbind. Referee Joubert allows the scrum to resolve and the ball to emerge and be played even as the scrum went down.
The field surface is not up to the contest, it looks like it’s been laid with grass turf (like a grass carpet) and has been pushed back like a rug on a wood floor. It would be a shame to see a team sanctioned because the playing surface is not up to the contest.
Waratahs vs Blues: Also great scrum – but a penalty seems harsh to me after that length of time of the contest. More on this later. I heard referee Jaco mention something along the lines of “The ball is in the middle of the scrum so I can’t call use it, you collapsed…”
Question: I know that the “Use it or lose it” rule applies to rucks (Law 16.7c) and mauls (Law 17.6h), but what is the situation with scrums?
Working on the basis that “Use it” is a very specific term for a referee to use, I did have a look at the scrum laws and there is nothing that I could see about “Use it”, in relation to a scrum in the current Laws.
But while looking at the scrum Laws I found two to ponder. There are two phrases that leapt out at me: “scrum remains stationary” and “ball does not emerge immediately”.
Here are the laws:
20.4 The team throwing the ball into the scrum
20.4e When a scrum remains stationary and the ball does not emerge immediately a further scrum is ordered at the place of the stoppage. The ball is thrown in by the team not in possession at the time of the stoppage.
20.4f When a scrum becomes stationary and does not start moving immediately, the ball must emerge immediately. If it does not, a further scrum will be ordered. The ball is thrown in by the team not in possession at the time of the stoppage.
What do you make of these Laws? Are those scrums in the video strictly speaking, “legal”? Commonsense would say the Referee Joubert got it right with the game continuing without a penalty or reset, but did Referee Jaco?
Did the Blues “intentionally” collapse or did the Tahs bore in on Woodcock? Should Jaco have reset the scrum in line with 20.4e?
How do you beat the England Scrums?
This year, the Irish celebrated Six Nations supremacy. A big part of this was their triumph over England, in England. In this match, they displayed a glimmer of how it may be done.
DaffyD says:
Scrum at the 55 second mark… It must be the camera angle, but on that angle on the video, the scrum looks pretty steady to me but Referee Jourbert must have seen something.
Scrum at 1:10: A great lesson for Wallaby Michael Hooper from his Irish open flanker counterpart on staying bound. It was obvious there were major problems with the Wallaby scrum last year, which I felt were compounded by Hooper not staying bound and pushing.
As soon as he lifted his head and unbound from the scrum the Wallaby scrum went backwards even faster. Hopefully his effort (with Will Skelton) in the Waratahs vs Blues game in the previous video is a sign of things to come.
My last comment is about the last comment on the video… “Don’t drop the ball”. Not only should the Wallabies not drop the ball, they should also make sure that when they do receive an advantage from an opponent with a dominant scrum, they use that advantage to avoid a scrum, especially in their own half, even if it’s on their own feed.
If the Wallaby scrum is under pressure, perceived to be under pressure, or the referee has simply decided that it is under pressure, the Wallabies will be better served to immediately kick and gain a territorial advantage and have “advantage over”, than to risk going to a scrum and getting penalised close to their line or within goal kicking range.
Okay that’s it
I hope it was fun for you guys. We appreciate your thoughts on this. Comments are welcome. Observations are appreciated. Questions are even more appreciated – no question is too stupid. And anyone can answer! Also, feel free to request any other engagements you want to be ‘Scrumma-mogramed’.
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.