Competitive Scrums : Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:35 am  

Competitive scrums please can we start some sort of movement to bring them back.
i'll be honest the procession is a bit tedious and im getting fed up of it

at least union as line outs which can be won against the feed

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:42 am  

You might as well have a play the ball and get rid of scrums altogether the way they are at the moment.

I'd love to see us try and push the scrum as IMO the opposition are taking it as a given that they will get the ball straight from the scrum and they don't put any weight in defending the ball as they know that there is no contest for the ball (apart from with the feet as the ball is put in)

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:47 am  

the ref should watch the ball being placed in the scrum and if he feels it is unfair then penalise the half back.

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:48 am  

No and no. The scrum takes the forwards out of the game and thus it is used as an attacking set-piece. Leave it as it is.

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:51 am  

mark_m wrote:

No and no. The scrum takes the forwards out of the game and thus it is used as an attacking set-piece. Leave it as it is.

i agree but would it not be better if it was the oppositions head and feed and we won the scrum turning it into OUR attack.

An unpredictable scrum would be a hell of a lot more interesting and exciting

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:05 pm  

YED79 wrote:

i agree but would it not be better if it was the oppositions head and feed and we won the scrum turning it into OUR attack.

An unpredictable scrum would be a hell of a lot more interesting and exciting

On a few occasions yes. But mostly, what you would get is the scrum having to be re-set several times before the ball goes in as the forwards push too early or it gets wheeled through 90 degrees or it collapses. Or it ends in a penalty due to something going wrong. These were the reasons why we got rid of them in the first place - because RL is about the ball being alive and players running with it, not falling in a big heap on the floor - if you want that, RU does a fine job of it.

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:09 pm  

SEB wrote:

On a few occasions yes. But mostly, what you would get is the scrum having to be re-set several times before the ball goes in as the forwards push too early or it gets wheeled through 90 degrees or it collapses. Or it ends in a penalty due to something going wrong. These were the reasons why we got rid of them in the first place - because RL is about the ball being alive and players running with it, not falling in a big heap on the floor - if you want that, RU does a fine job of it.

But if that's the case lets do away with it all together or change it with a line out.
a lineout is easy to set and fast and to the point

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:39 pm  

mark_m wrote:

No and no. The scrum takes the forwards out of the game and thus it is used as an attacking set-piece. Leave it as it is.

Exactly. End of discussion.

YED79 wrote:

But if that's the case lets do away with it all together or change it with a line out.
a lineout is easy to set and fast and to the point

No its not. Players still have to position themselves in a parallel line which takes time, similar to forming a scrum.

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:55 pm  

I would prefer it that scrums were awarded to the attacking team as long as the kick is kicked from there own half of the field and goes more than 10 mtrs into the opponents side of the pitch 40 - 20's do not add much to the game imo as last season there were only 37 in the whole season in the whole league ,which imo makes it a non event.
The scrum should be fed into the hookers feet and not the 2nd row to make it competitive.

: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:56 pm  

Rugby Union has incorporated uncontested scrums into matches recently. Even they are getting fed up of the referee having to talk to grown men like children; "No, engage when I say so", "Don't touch yet", "Right. Enough. Penalty", etc.