The Scrum

[Te Kaha]

With the potential for injury that exists i the scrum today do you think they should de-power it like certain Australians beileve they should?

Personally having played hooker in both codes I would absolutly hate for the Rugby scrum to turn into the abortion that the League scrum is..

 

[aussies1st]

Its part of the game. Without them SA would be as good as Japan, Aus would be top of the world.

 

[ozbash]

i dont know why they have a scrum in league,, it must be so they can have a rest and so 2 big fat bastards have a game to play.

i think the union scrum should stay as is. what happened last night was a combination of both front rows getting the better of honiss and out and out bad luck.

he was a lucky boy tho...

Auckland and All Blacks hooker Derren Witcombe has been cleared of a broken neck after a collapsed scum in the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury but faces further scans on the injury.

Witcombe was stretchered off after a scrum went down in the first half of the Air New Zealand NPC match at Jade Stadium on Saturday night which Canterbury won 27-12.

He spent the night in hospital in Christchurch. X-Rays there revealed no fractures and he walked out of hospital on Sunday morning for the flight home to Auckland.

Witcombe will have an MRI scan in Auckland on Monday to double-check the injured area but there is confidence he hasn't suffered any major damage.

The scrums were generally a messy area in a match where Canterbury handled everything Auckland threw at them.

The All Blacks selectors will have a worried eye on Witcombe's proceedings. He has been one of the movers on the international scene this year, getting in five test appearances against Fiji, the Lions and during the Tri Nations in his rookie year with the All Blacks.

The hooking position has heated up with the successful return from injury of former New Zealand skipper Anton Oliver with otaog in the NPC after he missed the entire test season this year with a leg injury.

Witcombe's Fellow Auckland rake Keven Mealamu is a key figure in the mix and with the selectors confirming they will take three hookers on the Grand Slam tour to cover the pressures of four tests on consecutive weeks in the UK, the race is on for the third spot.

A fit Witcombe would be the favoured player to take that third berth but former All Black Corey Flynn showed he isn't giving up with a dogged game for the red and blacks in their solid win at home.


thanks xtra.co.nz

 

[Mal Meninga]

Its part of the game. Without them SA would be as good as Japan, Aus would be top of the world.

I disagree. NZ are better than SA at scrumming, now if you take away lineouts SA would be useless in the forwards.

 

[Jackal Dog]

My brother almost broke his neck playing at hooker in a scrum, this was mainly due to the fact until that point and time he had played at lock/breakaway his entire career, till his new coach thought it would be a bright idea to play a 6'2 lock at hooker, I can't speak for myself having played mostly in the backs and on a few occasions no.8 where I pretty much had it easy, but if stupidity such as the above is not repeated I have no problem with the current way of scrummaging.

 

[Iafeta]

Scrums are crucial.

Perhaps they should be taken out of the game until say Under 14's, and any player who is put into hooker/prop may have to do some sort of course on scrummaging?

I say that in light of Phoney MX's brothers situation - it's ridiculous and negligent of any coah to send a player into the front row without the proper expertise being applied.

 

[Timbo]

I played hooker and tighthead prop exclusively from U6s to U17s. (Scrums uncontested till the U10s).

Never had a problem, neither did any of the oppositions I faced.

It's about training and making sure everyone knows what they're doing.

 

[aussies1st]

I disagree. NZ are better than SA at scrumming, now if you take away lineouts SA would be useless in the forwards.

But NZ are also good else where. Best backline in the world, Richie McCaw at 7.
SA would only have lineouts so if you kept the ball in play they would be in trouble.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Agree with the above sentiment, the scrum is a integral part of the game, but it is crucial that the participants are well trained. I think it has become more of a factor withthe increased training that the top front rowers arer recieving in the professional era, guys like Hayman, Woodcock and Du Rant are immensely strong and quite cabable of destroying an opponent who is not up to facing them.