Ireland v South Africa - 22/11/2025

[Reiser99]

This has shades of 2019 when England were just decimated in the final at the scrum.

What do Ireland do because they are just completely outmuscled?

This is where I'd change the law so if the scrum is stable for 5 seconds, the most the ref can give is a free kick. Then Ireland have an incentive to scrum for at least that.

 

[Jimbo]

No, he still got hit in the head. I’m saying from a reading for potential concussion it wasn’t picked up on G force or whatever they measure. That doesn’t mean a shoulder to the face is not unpleasantly sore.

I’m sorry but he gets hit in the head feels it was painful enough to hold his head make everyone aware it’s painful enough to have it checked out regardless of technology, for me the shields etc should be in place of things missed not replace common sense.

 

[munstermuffin]

It had not dropped when the penalty was given

Can't say I'm an expert at scrums but the picture was painted from the previous scrums. We are struggling big time but hard say why as I can't say where to start fixing

 

[saulan]

This is where I'd change the law so if the scrum is stable for 5 seconds, the most the ref can give is a free kick. Then Ireland have an incentive to scrum for at least that.

Why? This isn’t league. If you are so poor in one area of the game you should absolutely be punished for it

 

[Reiser99]

Why? This isn't league. If you are so poor in one area of the game you should absolutely be punished for it

Because it's meant to be a quick restart, not a penalty winning machine.

 

[Reiser99]

Also, if Doris had it when the ref called maul. Shouldn't that have been S.A ball?

 

[saulan]

Because it's meant to be a quick restart, not a penalty winning machine.

That’s an interpretation, not the rules of the game.

 

[Reiser99]

That's an interpretation, not the rules of the game.

No it's not, that is the purpose of the scrum to restart the game.

 

[Jimbo]

Why? This isn’t league. If you are so poor in one area of the game you should absolutely be punished for it

It’s a relatively big if unless your of a SA persuasion, excellent no doubt but often most scrum decisions appear to be predetermined in SAs favour regardless of what happens in them, I still maintain the ones conceded last semi by England were not all legitimate.

 

[saulan]

No it's not, that is the purpose of the scrum to restart the game.

It’s a means to restart the game, but if you are unable to compete in it, then you should get punished for it, especially if you are collapsing or ruining the opportunity for the attacking team by collapsing. To the point on the five seconds, at least in this game, I think most of the penalties we have earned in the scrum in this game have come within the first five seconds.

 

[Saintjay]

No it's not, that is the purpose of the scrum to restart the game.

Not sure that's world rugby's current interpretation. It's a contest for the ball once possession has been secured, a team can keep the ball on the ground and in the scrum and attempt to drive the opposition down field.

Which is exactly what SA exploit.

 

[saulan]

I still maintain the ones conceded last semi by England were not all legitimate.

I'll address this part. I think that last one was the right decision, but was a case of the referee being scared to make the call when he should have, but then England got the dominance and won the scrum and then had no choice to penalize the penalty (prop going down) that he should've awarded earlier on.

 

[Reiser99]

It's a means to restart the game, but if you are unable to compete in it, then you should get punished for it, especially if you are collapsing or ruining the opportunity for the attacking team by collapsing. To the point on the five seconds, at least in this game, I think most of the penalties we have earned in the scrum in this game have come within the first five seconds.

I agree with this and if teams are cynical they should be punished. But I think it ruins the game when one side is clearly dominant and can keep it in to milk a penalty. My idea is it gives teams a small incentive to scrummage properly to restart the game knowing that they can't be punished for trying their best with a penalty. If it works it would reduce scrum penalties and speed up the game because the stronger scrum also don't have an incentive to keep it in and milk a penalty.

 

[Reiser99]

Not sure that's world rugby's current interpretation. It's a contest for the ball once possession has been secured, a team can keep the ball on the ground and in the scrum and attempt to drive the opposition down field.

Which is exactly what SA exploit.

Possibly, but it wastes time and slows down games and leads to cards.

 

[BMatt]

I like scrums.

 

[saulan]

We’re gonna get another scrum penalty try yellow card aren’t we?

 

[big ginger 8]

That's Steenkamp collapsing. Get scrum refs.

 

[dirty harry]

I was looking forward to this game...

But its become dull as hell! I cant wait for it to be over now tbh

 

[Reiser99]

See, Ireland are just being cynical because they have no desire to compete properly, hoping the ref will penalise S.A. It's dull and boring, will lead to another card and puts off neutral viewers, which is a huge issue in global rugby.

 

[dirty harry]

Has to be pen try no?