Bledisloe Cup: New Zealand v Australia, 15 August

Bledisloe 2015: Keep the scrum square, Mr Owens, that's all the Wallabies ask
August 13, 2015 - 4:41PM
Paul Cully

Before the British and Irish Lions' second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne in 2013, Welsh tight-head prop Adam Jones was put before the Australian media and asked about the difference between Australian scrummaging and, say, the New Zealand set-piece.

All teams do it differently and have their strengths, he began earnestly, before dropping the line: The All Blacks tell you they scrummage straight ... but they don't.

The softly spoken Jones has enough mischief in the eye to suggest he was indulging a bit of leg pulling. Props are masters at constructing arguments in which they are the innocent.

Nonetheless, the "angling in" charge is not a new one. New Zealand have named Tony Woodcock and Wyatt Crockett at loose-head to face the Wallabies in Auckland on Saturday. The world's best referee, Nigel Owens, holds the whistle. Everyone wants the scrum on that loose-head side to be a legitimate contest.

​Now, to those who spend hours online every week getting heated up about the angles they see opposition teams use in scrums, here's the news: your props already know that, they know what's coming and plan for it.

They also know the game is, in part, about getting away with what you can, whether that is using angles in the scrum, running a blocking line or naming a bloke on the Manly bench to make a fool of the SANZAR judiciary. There are no angels out there.

However, there are still lines to be drawn. When Wallabies loose-head Scott Sio started pumping those big pistons last week and getting right into All Blacks replacement Nepo Laulala​, after seeing off Owen Franks, the most impressive thing was how straight he was.

Compare that with some of the shapes thrown by Crockett, in particular, this year and earlier. It is not that he cannot scrum, of course. He can destroy tight-heads by powering up and then in. But it's when he is clearly angling in even before the engagement that the playing field is no longer level.

The Wallabies can only hope that the attitude shown by rising young referee Angus Gardner in March, when Crockett's Crusaders were playing the Bulls, is one shared by Owens.

Due to that game being played in Australia's small hours, the events of that fixture are probably not that well known. In effect, Gardner took the Crusaders pack aside after Crockett had come on and told them he wasn't going to cop Crockett's set-up in the scrum. It was quite a sight, the fresh-faced Australian laying down the law to Richie McCaw and co, especially as Crockett's technique had already been in the news.

However, it was not without justification. Even go back to the Wales v All Blacks game last year, when excellent young Welshman Samson Lee was given a hell of a time by Crockett. Let's be generous on that occasion and say Crockett's angles were just straight enough.

There is a caveat.

Even if the All Blacks get squarer this weekend, there is no guarantee of Wallabies success. Why?

The Springboks' starting front row has looked frightening at times against the Wallabies and All Blacks, although they got touched up by Argentina last weekend. That would make the Pumas the best scrum in the Rugby Championship, wouldn't it? Yes, except when they tried to push the All Blacks off the ball in Christchurch the pressure they encountered in the form of Franks and Woodcock, square on (they can do it when needed), was so unyielding they had trouble striking for their own ball. Then Franks got dished up by Sio in Sydney.

Confused yet? That old man Woodcock made more tackles than Michael Hooper last weekend. Oh, and in the Six Nations this year, mighty England went to Dublin to smash the Irish front row, which was featuring a 35-year-old tight-head short on game time. The Irish scrum won a good points decision.

The truth is that all props have days they'd rather forget. In fact, it is the certainty of having such games that makes the men that play in the front row quite so remarkable. What other position brings such guarantee of being physically dominated, twisted this way and that?

Thus it is with uncertainty that we approach the first scrum in Bledisloe II.

But what Owens can control is that both sides operate under the same rules.

emack2 wrote:An interesting article as an ex Scrum Half Nigel Owens SHOULD be hip to the antics of
the Front Row Mafia.BUT past experience shows he hasn't a clue Crockett was penalised
out of the game by an Australian ref[Steve Walsh?]He changed his style though his
original one was legal.
Under the current rules a IRB Scrum committee has found that to Hook the ball legally
is impossible.[Will be changed post RWC]hence squint feeds being more or less tolerated.
Argentina played a weaker Scrum early in the Championship v SA it was near the real
deal.
Incidentally Argentina seldom try and Hook the ball anyway,two very interesting teams
OZ seems more experimental than before.
Kaino will double up as Second Lock if required VERY good prop cover there,be interesting
if ABs give Cane and McCaw a full second 40 minutes.
What is obvious is IRB are clamping down on head high tackles no tolerance one and off
or so it appears..
Should be a good game Eden Park is hardly the easiest venue and Owens like Barnes
is a "Homer"

GunsGerms wrote:The New Zealand herald doesn't think Australia will get out of their group in the WC:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/71051262/rugby-world-cup-pool-winner-predictions

yappysnap wrote:To be fair, right up until the yellow card NZ looked very beatable, they couldn't get any momentum, didn't really threaten Oz other then a try against the run of play and were constantly hassled by Australia.

They did do very well to score so many tries in that 10 mins though

emack2 wrote:Scrum tactics are common to ALL teams,fortunate Wayne Barnes was the Ref.When has he
ever given NZ anything?[1/6 wins under his mamagement
The Scrum is another way of starting play,BUT is now just a way to milk penalties by trying
to con the Ref.
The rules currently in use for the Scrum is more comprehensive than the WHOLE of the
Soccer rule book.
It is a FACT that like the Breakdown the REF could penalize EITHER side at EVERY Scrum
if he chose for something[and that`s when BOTH sides are going by the book]
This match will decide whether the parallels for NZ are 1991 or 2006.
We have yet to see full first team pick by NZ of fit players,this being perhaps the
nearest.It maybe last chance Saloon for some here whatever happens.
It`s last chance for NZ to tinker with the squad before announcing RWC one,Cheika
has won the RC and one hand on the Bledisloe.
All season he`s been picking his best team for each match building nicely,as expected
with the draw he`s won the RC as I predicted.
This time he`s made 6 changes from his point of view a win /win situation WIN with
this team.HE`s a Tactical Genius,lose it`s well it was expected but we`ve won the RC
and I have to see if ALL my squad are fit for RWC.
WHATEVER happens it would be a fool to put to much emphasis on ANY teams results
this year pre-RWC.Smoke and mirrors and IF you think France for example can be written
off?WELL?

Cyril wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:The New Zealand herald doesn't think Australia will get out of their group in the WC:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/71051262/rugby-world-cup-pool-winner-predictions

NZ journos are hardly going to back the Aussies, but he may well be right right.

Normal service resumed. Australia not the all-conquering, World Champions elect that some had claimed them to be. Absolutely smashed. England will be licking their lips. Wales might think they've got a chance of ending their bad run.

emack2 wrote:Scrum tactics are common to ALL teams,fortunate Wayne Barnes was the Ref.When has he
ever given NZ anything?[1/6 wins under his mamagement

emack2 wrote:NOT SO the laws state tackled player must PASS the ball,or release and roll away .

George Carlin wrote:

emack2 wrote:NOT SO the laws state tackled player must PASS the ball,or release and roll away .

Alan - do you know what the law says about how long you get to make the pass?

I'm intrigued by this because if players are rucking over you and you still have control of the ball, how long before you are penalised for neither passing nor rolling away?

15.5

(b) A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it. That player must also get up or move away from it at once.

Rugby Fan wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

emack2 wrote:NOT SO the laws state tackled player must PASS the ball,or release and roll away .

Alan - do you know what the law says about how long you get to make the pass?

I'm intrigued by this because if players are rucking over you and you still have control of the ball, how long before you are penalised for neither passing nor rolling away?

Must be made "immediately"

15.5

(b) A tackled player must immediately pass the ball or release it. That player must also get up or move away from it at once.

http://laws.worldrugby.org/?law=15&language=EN