Yip, it's a dirty business
The South African rugby public knows very little about scrumming… fact. The reason for this is twofold, firstly SuperSport’s so-called forward experts, being Bob Skinstadt and Owen Nkumane have throughout their brief careers managed to steer well clear of the physical stuff, Bob, because he was a basically a slower centre and Nkumane, because he was basically a quota. The second reason, and perhaps the more pertinent one, is the new law interpretations, which causes so many reset scrums throughout the game, that no-one can stand watching them anymore.
Now, the main reasons for the scrum being the crap institution is currently is, can be summed up in three words, “touch, pause, engage”.
In the IRB’s relentless quest to rid the collision sport of rugby of injuries, they grievously messed up one of the foundations of the game. Back in the days, and when I say this, I am basically talking about 6 years ago, scrumming was all about getting the better of one’s opponent. It was an interesting tussle, because everything depended on who got the first hit, who had his bind up first, and where exactly that bind was made.
A good prop, could get his bind in so quickly and effectively, that it rendered his opposing prop basically useless, in this way it ensured that the better prop, irrespective of his size, usually came out victorious, because back then, scrumming was about technique and not necessarily bulk as it is today.
A weak prop these days, can get quite a reputation going for himself if he has strong locks, and only be found out late in his career, if ever. Because of the ‘touch, pause, engage’ which basically makes the playing field equal, both props have to bind and remain bound, they have to enter at the same level, and then 8 players scrum together from a standing start, where, more often than not, the size of one’s scrum affects the eventual outcome.
That is why someone like Bakkies Botha is known as a scrumming lock, and commentators often go on about a prop’s support and how important it is to have a big sturdy set of locks to help with the scrumming, and how it’s an 8-man effort and all that jazz, when really, it’s not supposed to be. Why is a lock called a lock? Because he has to stop a prop going backwards, not help him go forward!
No self-respecting prop will give scrumming kudo’s to the rest of his pack, because they’re not supposed to be doing the job, but the new IRB rules makes this impossible.
Take the Argentine Scrum from the 1970’s onwards, the famous ‘Bajadita’ scrum, where a pack of small players scrummed the shite out of every team in the world. Why? Basically Bajadita teaches direction of scrumming and body height, Los Pumas simply squatted lower than their opponents could (training), then made a very quick engage, the other team, who was now standing arse above head, had to adjust their feet, and as soon as they lifted a foot to accomplish this, well, the end.
Today the Argentine scrum is exactly the same as every other scrum in the world, because the rules made them change, technique no longer have a place above brute strength.
The new laws not only messed up scrums, but everything associated with it, if you name players like, Morne du Plessis, Hendrik Gerber, Ruben Kruger, Neil Back and even die Windhond, Hennie Muller they have one thing in common. Before the law changes they were the guys that made flyhalves crap themselves. They didn’t scrum, they had their eyes on Number 10, and if the scrumhalve had but one poor pass in the game, the flyhalve had to be stretchered off the field, or more often than not, be so rattled afterwards that he didn’t have any creative flair for the rest of the game.
Flyhalves of 90’s and earlier lived on fear and adrenaline alone, none of this fancy stepping and playmaking, they had to get rid of the ball as quick as possible, or face enormous amounts of pain, this made them think quicker, react faster and generally be better equipped to handle pressure than the current crop of hopefuls. Basically good props usually meant good flyhalves, and that can hardly be said today.
I don’t see the IRB changing their minds any time soon, so we are basically stuck with the flawed perception that a scrum still matters. If that had truly been the case, Australia wouldn’t win a game, ever. Giteau and Cooper would have long been crippled, and more games would have sold out, even if only to see Dan Carter be run-over by one or the other psychotic flanker in a blood rage.
Who’s the best props in the world right now? Well loosehead has to be Coenie Oosthuizen, he has a fiery temper, is enormously strong, and is probably the most agile prop in world rugby today, also, he is cocky, very much so, you can see he backs himself, every good prop should. Yes, we may have to wait a few years for him to mature, but man, this boy is going to be immense.
Tighthead is a bit more difficult, I do not rate BJ Botha, Jannie du Plessis, CJ or John Smit (obviously), and internationally the Hair Bear and Murray from Scotland are OK’ish but not great, Nicolas Mas from France seems to be the business, and is in my opinion the best tight-head in the world at the moment.
I truly hope that we can one day return to form, and introduce scrumming as a real contest within the context of rugby, but I am not holding my breath…
Oh yes, and another thing…fcuk all the referees!
I played prop in the Freestate for 7 years. As a much smaller Soutie prop I had to have much better technique then the MUCH bigger, MUCH heavier and MUCH stronger opponents.A decent hit and bind, coupled with decent technique helped me survive.
Like my ex girlfriend said: size isn’t everything.
Was this views by Os made before he was fired?
I did not read your article Saint so i apologize if this is in your article.
Jóhann Thormählen
Bloemfontein – The stricter application of the scrum laws have been the major cause of frustration at the start of the Super Rugby competition, but should make scrumming more competitive in the long term.
That is the view of former Springbok prop and Cheetahs scrumming consultant Os du Randt in the wake of the numerous penalties some frontrankers have conceded in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Du Randt believes that the way loosehead props are currently being penalised may lead to a situation where teams can get right shoulders again like they did in the old days.
Referees were also told to referee the scrums strictly in 2011 – much as they did with the so-called daylight rule at the breakdown last year.
Tappe Henning, one of the South African Rugby Union’s referees coaches, and Balie Swart, who trains referees in scrumming, earlier visited all the South African teams to discuss the new developments.
Du Randt noted that teams are struggling in the scrums, but that there may be an improvement soon.
“The reason for all the penalties are bad habits. The guys have to start getting things right. The referees have made a mental shift and are focusing on the scrums a lot, especially with regards to transgressions by the loosehead.
“That may be a good thing because we may get back to a situation where the guys can get a right shoulder and gain an advantage from it. One hasn’t really been able to get a right shoulder for the past 10 or 15 years because looseheads were always advantaged.
“At this point it’s a frustration. There are small technical things that one has to sort out, but I believe things will go a lot better after the third and fourth rounds.”
The former Bok believes the scrums will be more competitive as a result and the notion behind the application of the laws can be to the benefit of the game.
He noted that it won’t help to criticise referees.
“It may feel as if referees are going overboard because they are applying the law more strictly, but they are merely doing what they have been saying for the past three years they are going to do,” said Du Randt.
He said that looseheads are punished predominantly for three reasons.
“The biggest thing looseheads are struggling with is to get their bind right – and the other thing is the hinging.
“The third problem is to get their timing right with the hit. It makes it more difficult when referees stretch out their call. A player stands there and is anxious. Your discipline from the back has to be good and you can’t engage early.
“Hinging is where your loosehead’s shoulder line goes under his hips and then rises again. The referees want a fair contest and for your shoulder line to remain the same on the hit.
“As soon as the loosehead engages with the tighthead, he is not allowed to move upwards again. They believe it is dangerous and can lead to injuries.”
Exactly Saint.
The arrogant arseholes who control rugby solved their biggest problem, which was looking stupid because they could not admit that they knew fokkol about scrumming, by taking all the skill and technique out of the scrum.
The result is that we no longer breed scrummagers who know anything about scrumming but simply rely on weight and strength.
The problem is that totally idiots are know considered experts on scrumming.
As for Skinstad and Owen, please don’t ruin my day and get me started on those two morons.
Also please will people like Stransky and Bladen stop saying anything about scrumming.
Every time they open their mouths they talk absolute shit about what is going on in the scrum and millions of people believe them.
I think there is no chance of getting back to the past and a true scrum contest.
They may as well have uncontested scrums.
I am f.cking angry about this.
@ superBul:
I think Os put it more eloquently than I did, but he is involved in rugby administration, so he has to watch his mouth. But what he is basically saying about getting a right shoulder hasn’t got to do with the skill or a competitive scrum, but more with the fact, that, because of the strict law applications, the loosehead is effectively taken out of the game, which will obviously result in a right shoulder.
But reading between the lines one can sense his frustration, look at the final sentence:
“As soon as the loosehead engages with the tighthead, he is not allowed to move upwards again. They believe it is dangerous and can lead to injuries.”
“They believe it is…” in other words, they know shite!
What the Saint says is absolutely correct.
The position of the bind from either prop can have an enormous effect on the outcome of a particular scrum.
Their is a generalisation amongst non front row “kenners” that a tight head will always try to bring the opposing loosehead down and vice-versa.
I personally lost count of the number of penalties I won as a loosehead by collapsing the scrum on my side. Ref’s too stupid or too ignorant to see it.
A short bind (onto the opposition t1t) when you need it (squeeze freekin hard and sooner or later the opposition will pull out), a long bind over the back when you want to pull the scrum down.
As a tighthead, a long bind onto the shorts of the opposing loosehead, you pull his arse outwards and he immediately looses any energy being applied by his lock, and the ref’ automatically thinks he’s scrumming in.
Many finer operational points that have been lost on the newer generation of “hulk like” props. All brawn and no intellect.
@ Scrumdown:
On this site we have people who have played the game and understand the finer technical points, yet on Supersport we have commentators who are boring and add nothing of value to rugby.
Some of these are springboks!!
They obviously need to toe the supersport line in order to keep their well paid jobs and so just tell the masses what they think they want to hear.
They dare not become critical and simply cannot get too technical firstly because that is too boring in modern day marketimg and secondly because most of them are clueless about some of the technical aspects of the game.
@ tight head:
Please don’t get me started on the political correctness and limitations put on the Supersport commentators and presenters.
When someone is playing k@k rugby, you must be able to say it, otherwise there is no credibility in any of their opinions.
That’s why I stopped watching SA rugby shows, they have no credibility.
@ tight head:
If you want to see how to really fcuk up scrumming as a contest have a look at a Rugby League match.
Basically uncontested (Health and safety sh1t), and the half back puts the ball in literally under the second row’s feet.
They use it purely as a reason to re-start the game, but moer it’s ugly to watch.
Mind you, League is an ugly spectacle at the best of times.
@ Scrumdown:
Exactly.
When you see the total mess called a scrum in sevens, with no binding between players in the same front row, no cohesion, no idea about body positions you wonder how anybody can think that is safe!!
But hell it speeds up the game for the morons watching!!
They would be better off just tapping and running and saving the farce!!
I am super glad to see that all props united in their pissed-offness regarding the stupidity of the current scrum. I think there is a lesson in there somewhere.
@ Loosehead:
Did you play against a Rob Muller in the early 90’s, he waqs doing shopping centre work there for me…living in Bloemfontein. He scrummed against Ollie a few times I remember. He gave up rugby…playing certain local teams and the knives came out when things weren’t going well for them. One guy even ran onto the field and was hitting Rob with a dustbin….ref couldn’t control it….the club they were playing against, baying for his blood.
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