Expert: Nick Vujnovich - 6/18/2009

Question
Greetings Nick.  I live on the West coast (Portland OR).  I played rugby many years ago as a schoolboy.  The game's changed a lot since then.

Currently, on the Lions tour, the Springboks are complaining of illegal set-piece scrums by their opposition.  What types of thing are they upset about? I sometimes see references to the "dark arts" of the scrum.  As a rugby fan and spectator, what should I be looking for?

Best wishes,

Steve.  

Answer
Hello Steve,

While scrummaging has progressed a lot with regards to technique the thing you are referring to is less to do with scrummaging and more to do with referee manipulation.

If a team wines enough about perceived cheating referees are more likely to penalize with the "direction" they have received from the complainers.

The Aussies get accused of it by the All Blacks the South African accuse the AB's of it.

Still you can look for wheeling when a defending team's tight head side actually walks backwards to spin the scrum 180 degrees to make it be a re-start.

The usual boring, collapsing goes on. Charging in early etc.

Frankly nothing is new but the old rule applies: "who gains the most from the result?". If a scrum collapses near a try line and the ref penalizes the attacking team just ask yourself "why they would intentionally do such a thing when they already have the advantage?"

I must say though that in my personal opinion Matt Dunning of Australia does revert to cheating a lot. Look at any footage of him up against the All Blacks and you will see chenanigins galore. Just my opinion though.