IRB act to improve scrum spectacle

[TRF_Cymro]

The Six Nations coaches have thrown their support behind the International Rugby Board's attempts to address scrum issues at the elite level of the game.

The IRB have been forced to act in the wake of official statistics that underline how the set-piece has become a blight on the modern game. Currently 60% of all scrums collapse in Tier 1 internationals (Six Nations, Tri-Nations and Argentina) and 40% of scrums are required to be reset while the average time taken to complete a scrum has risen from 41 seconds to 53.

Despite a slight decrease in the number of collapses and resets since the latest crouch-touch-pause-engage sequence was introduced last year, the IRB remains determined to tackle the issues and ensure that the scrum remains a "critical facet of the Game" and that it is also "a spectacle and a contest".

Coaching representatives from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales pledged to work with the IRB to deliver a stable scrum platform at what was described as, "a highly positive and productive forum" in London on Tuesday.

In addition to expressing their support for the scrum engagement sequence, the coaches also gave their backing to the IRB's policy of the strict application of scrum Law, including ensuring straight put-ins. The coaches also support the IRB policy which mandates that referees should crack down on illegal front row binding with a collective emphasis on ensuring that the tight head prop binds on the body of the loose head prop and not the arm and the loose head prop adopts the correct body position and binds on the body of the opposition tight head.

The IRB insists that this collaborative approach will be critical in assisting to address the problematic aspects of the scrum. Last year a similar approach agreed by all Tier 1 coaches led to a crackdown in key areas of Law: offside at the breakdown; offside from kicks; illegal maul formation and strict application of the tackle Law. This, in turn, resulted in a return to attacking and crowd-pleasing rugby.

"The meeting was extremely constructive and highly productive. All found it beneficial and it was encouraging to see universal agreement from the coaches about the need to continue to penalise the clear and the obvious in the five key areas of Law and in particular the need to address the scrum issues that are currently experienced at elite level," said IRB Referee Manager Paddy O'Brien.

"We are encouraged that teams recognise there is a collective responsibility to ensure that the high number of collapses and resets is reduced. The coaches expressed their full support for referees to employ a zero tolerance policy towards engagement offences and have given a commitment that their teams will endeavour to be compliant in producing a stable, steady scrum by binding correctly. The scrum is an integral facet of the Game and by working together we can target the issues while ensuring that player welfare continues to be the most important consideration."

IRB Scrum statistics at Tier 1 level: (Feb 2009 - December 2010)

Average scrums per match = 16, Average collapse per match = 9, Average resets per match = 6 Average Penalties/FKs per match = 5.2

The 2009 Six Nations had the highest reset rate with 47 per 100 scrums, the 2010 Six Nations had the highest collapse rate with 67 per 100 scrums. November 2009 had the lowest number of resets with 29 per 100 scrums and June 2009 had the lowest number of collapses with 47 per 100 scrums.

2009 Tri Nations collapses on engagement 52 per 100 scrums, post engagement 39 per 100 scrums. 2010 Tri Nations (current scrum sequence) collapses on engagement 25 per 100 scrums, post engagement 31 per 100 scrums.

Average time taken per scrum: 2009 Six Nations 43 seconds, 2010 November 53 seconds.

http://www.espnscrum.com/sixnations2011/rugby/story/133099.html​

 

[Teh Mite]

There's a hole in the scrum, the IRB are looking into it.

Erm. Yep.

 

[lance2010]

It takes so long for the ref to call the cadence for the scrum,there's 30sec of the problem.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

IRB will deffo not listen to the players, fact of the matter it now required the ref and both officials to help out the ref. Also if ref's had a clue what was going on at the scrum would half help.

 

[Teh Mite]

Refs need to learn about scrums.

They also need to get rid of the "touch" (which appears to be optional now anyway)

"Crouch.....................Touch..........................*pause*.........................................Englage." That's wrong. I count 4 'pauses'.

Crouch-hold-engage.

Fixed.



A ban on the ballerina rugby shirts would also help binding.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Refs need to learn about scrums.

They also need to get rid of the "touch" (which appears to be optional now anyway)

"Crouch.....................Touch..........................*pause*.........................................Englage." That's wrong. I count 4 'pauses'.

Crouch-hold-engage.

Fixed.



A ban on the ballerina rugby shirts would also help binding.

Well the policy of slowing down is a nightmare, due to the weather here, played my first game in over 7 weeks with the new rules at tighthead yesterday and the slowness is where the problem lies, the ref yesterday got the binding issue sorted, the opposition back who we hammered at scrum time had to ensure their binding was correct, not to pull the scrum down.

Problem lies with the speed of the 4 point call, 'The Hit' and binding!

 

[Seaton]

It confuses me immensely when my coaches say "It's important to get a good hit"

Why? What's the point if you are not allowed to push until the ball is put in? (which of course takes forever)

Watching old games from the amateur era, the scrums go more smoothly, they just crouch, bind, ball in and push

 

[BigJoe78]

it sounds crazy but i think they could do something with the shirts for front row players so they can bind properly the skin tight shirts everyone wears now (my club side included) hamper front rowers ability to properly bind on

 

[lynam1104]

Add a pocket or somting for the front rowers so they look like fools I say.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Add a pocket or somting for the front rowers so they look like fools I say.

I was thinking that before, couldn't they just stick a baggy-patch under the armpits of the props?
Make it small enough that tacklers can't grab it easily, but there so binding is alright

 

[Teh Mite]

Just make rugby players wear rugby shirts to play rugby. Simples.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I am sure John O'Neil will have something to moan about with regard to making the scrum a real contest.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

It confuses me immensely when my coaches say "It's important to get a good hit"

Why? What's the point if you are not allowed to push until the ball is put in? (which of course takes forever)

Watching old games from the amateur era, the scrums go more smoothly, they just crouch, bind, ball in and push

If you don't get the initial hit, you are on the backfoot straight away and you have gone back a step or so and are not in a good position to absolutely batter your opposition number. If the hit is not right then you are not in the best position either. Its about momentum.

 

[Teh Mite]

I am sure John O'Neil will have something to moan about with regard to making the scrum a real contest.

No coincidence he's been keeping his gob shut ever since the law changes (which he championed, I may add) rendered the scrum a farce. That bloke won't be happy until we're all playing rugby league.

 

[Seaton]

If you don't get the initial hit, you are on the backfoot straight away and you have gone back a step or so and are not in a good position to absolutely batter your opposition number. If the hit is not right then you are not in the best position either. Its about momentum.

Well, your last sentence is the point.
If you are not supposed to push/move the scrum before the ball is put in, what is the point of gaining any momentum, 'cause it is lost before the ball is put in anyway

For the record, I take the hit, wait for the ball to come in and then I push, and we do more than fine and don't get penalized for early pushing

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Well, your last sentence is the point.
If you are not supposed to push/move the scrum before the ball is put in, what is the point of gaining any momentum, 'cause it is lost before the ball is put in anyway

For the record, I take the hit, wait for the ball to come in and then I push, and we do more than fine and don't get penalized for early pushing

The momentum is also referring to getting into position, the initial hit will also determine position if you get my drift, you win the initial hit, then you are someway to winning the scrum because you have assumed the dominant scrum position.

 

[BigJoe78]

My initial hit 90% of the time defines how that will scrum will go for me its about getting in the best position you then hold until the ball is in and push. the hit is the starting point

 

[dullonien]

I've never played in the front row, or in the pack atall for that metter, so hopefully a few of you guys can say if I'm being stupid or not. Is there any reason why the 'hit' should not simply be dropped? Allow both sets of forwards to come together as they did in the 70's etc. then when the ball is put in the pushing begins. Wouldn't this not only reduce the number of collapsed scrums, but also considerably reduce the risk involved? It would allow time for the props to bind properly to begin with, making it easier for the ref to see who's purposefully slipping their binding. This should mean that scrums would revert to a battle of strength and technique instead of who anticipated the engage call the best.

Anybody know the reason the 'hit' was bought in to begin with?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Anybody know the reason the 'hit' was bought in to begin with?

Hopefully the Cooky will explain this!

 

[Shaggy]

It's good that the IRB are doing something, and hopefully they can make further changes to correct the timing - not pausing so long etc

Interested to see the zero tolerance for a not straight scrum feed as well ... i've seen refs penalise this in a couple of games over the last few years, but there's been no consistency.

With regard to the props binding, does anyone know if the binding on the body means that the props arms must be straight when they bind - I know Cooky has adocated this in the past, and it does seem to be a good way of preventing scrum collapse ... maybe it's impractical for the "hit", but just wondering