CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
10 Jul 2013, 19:30#3
Sasue
They are using the new laws in the Craven week rugby and there has been a marked improvement in the process. No more constant resetting of scrums and time lost as a result. Normally one reset and if it is not done right the next time - a short arm penalty.
It looks very promising - but weaker scrum teams is bound to suffer badly - it favours the strong pack teams in a major way -. That is from what I have seen thus far.
11 Jul 2013, 02:41#5
Personally, I believe it is a real shame the way the iRB has handled the scrum in the last years. Long gone are the days where it was a real contest between both packs. Nowadays it's all about winning the hit. The scrum-halves put in the ball at the back of the scrum, virtually ready for the eightman to pick it up.
The smaller but technically superior props are being left out in favour of the bigger ones. I as a second rower notice that I don't shove nearly as hard as I used to when I was a kid. Back then every single scrum was an immense physical battle.
I firmly believe the Board must undertake a thorough examination of the way scrums are played under the current set of rules. It's getting very hard to referee modern scrums at Test level -- and it often makes for some big discussions and controversy.
11 Jul 2013, 10:43#6
Game time is severely wasted on resets - agree entirely suscker...
I too think that full arm penalty/s that OFTEN decide matches based on ref interpretation @ scrums are a deadest farce and that one scrum followed by free-kick should be the rule....
I think step in the right direction though with rule change and lets hope more rugby less time watching scrum resets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12 Jul 2013, 06:34#8
I think frnech schooled abs on scrums too... reality is its all about the hit and not scrummaging technique that matters... and knowing the notorious nature of kiwis cheating and manipulating Id imagine theyd be thinking up new ways to cheat the new rules...
CLclevermike
Coach57,555 posts
CLclevermikeCoach57,555 posts
12 Jul 2013, 09:44#10
Lets get this back to a reasonable level of discussion. There are many issues in rugby which are an integral part of the game and will remain so. These include scrums, mauls and line-outs. The powers to be have to look at laws constantly - because as soon as they come up with an idea to make the game more entertaining - some crude methods are used to try and disadvantage opponents.
Insofar as scrumming is concerned - these unacceptable practises include collapsing of scrums, inward scrumming, pressing hands on the ground, etc - all aimed at getting an advantage over potentially stronger opponents. What is the end result is often wasting of time and for the general public a series of motions which really are not all that nice to look at.
One of those are the constant resetting of scrums taking minutes to get an acceptable result - is one issue that has been focussed on and I think the latest changes are in fact a move in the right direction. From what I have seen in the Craven week games - played according to the changed law - it can work well. There is an interesting requirement that follows - namely inappropriate methods used are penalized much more and more quickly than happened in the past - and the game is flowing much better than it used to be the case.
There is definitely much less wasting of time and some weaker scrumming players are more at a disadvantage than before - while others, such as the Lions players in the latest series - will be penalized for inward scrumming - and the opposition would be the receiver of penalties.
The problem will not be eased - but referees should apply the new laws uniformly and watch out carefully for the rogue elements that would undermine the process. .
