Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
He has made many mistakes. The loose head is less important than the tight head at scrum TBH
Aussie Player Exodus
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He has made many mistakes. The loose head is less important than the tight head at scrum TBH
He had a couple of dropped balls on the end of year tour, but again, I think he's been fine as the reserve LHP.
That said, if Sio is healthy and in form in 2015 I think he'll be ahead of Robinson again.
The loosehead is MOSTLY less important than the tighthead at scrumtime. Robinson carried our scrum for 18 months and was easily more important than our tighthead during that period.
Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
OK, so if scrumming not as important to winning Tests as some think? If our front row is outside the Top 5 but the team is ranked No.1 internationally with just 1 loss in 2 seasons, scrums can't be THAT important.
Which would mean that Ma'afu really isn't as important as some think.
NZ's scrum isn't their biggest asset/weapon like it is for England etc.
We lost to England, Ireland and France despite dominating territory and possession.
Maybe if NZ had less tricks in their bag they'd focus more heavily on the scrum but at the moment that is the least area of concern for the Wallabies against the All Blacks.
Against some of the NH teams it is our biggest problem and cost us matches on the EOYT.
Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
Still....if our front row was outside the Top 5 as claimed, you'd expect the ABs to be losing more - or at least less dominant than they have been for the last 2 yrs.
I just don't think that a team can be as dominant as the ABs have been with THAT bad of a scrum. Especially given the number of times we've played England, SA, Argentina, Wales etc.
For the Wallabies our problem is that our reserve scrum cops an absolute pasting. We just don't have the depth in that department. Our starting scrum generally fares decently.
The All Blacks don't have a bad scrum. They don't have a dominant scrum either. They don't lost a lot when the reserves come on which is the Wallabies biggest issue.
The All Blacks don't have a bad scrum. They don't have a dominant scrum either. They don't lost a lot when the reserves come on which is the Wallabies biggest issue.
boyo
Mark Ella (57)
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
The last time the Wallabies scrum had a hot streak was back in 2009. We beat the Poms, were crushing the Irish in the scrums and should have won except for average refereeing by Kaplan (What's new?) and pulverised Wales. It wasn't a big change up in the forwards either: Front row of Robinson, Moore and Alexander. Second row switched between Horwill with Chisholm or Mumm. Interestingly, there was no Nathan Sharpe, who was often derided for being the reason we were weak scrummagers.
These guys didn't become shithouse all of a sudden and neither did the likes of Salesi Ma'afu or Kieran Longbottom suddenly become world beaters. Our guys are generally badly coached and those of our props who do go overseas (well Ma'afu and Longbottom anyway) come into better-coached environments (scrum-wise). Guys like Ma'afu aren't saviours- they prove that we aren't lacking in potential. I couldn't give a rats arse if they select him or not because we would still get hammered in the scrums.
These guys didn't become shithouse all of a sudden and neither did the likes of Salesi Ma'afu or Kieran Longbottom suddenly become world beaters. Our guys are generally badly coached and those of our props who do go overseas (well Ma'afu and Longbottom anyway) come into better-coached environments (scrum-wise). Guys like Ma'afu aren't saviours- they prove that we aren't lacking in potential. I couldn't give a rats arse if they select him or not because we would still get hammered in the scrums.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Agree to a point, however if the loosie's seagull then a pushover try is often the result, I'd rather take the chance of the 8 running. If the 8 blokes act as one then often the ball doesn't come easy to the 8.
If you agree with sea gulling then don't complain about our scrum woes. Simple laws of physics apply - 8 big blokes pushing against 5 big blokes will always have the same result
Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Are you stuck in 2010? Your perception of Crockett is equally as outdated as your perception of Ma'afu. But then you generally dislike the Saints.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Crockett by name etc......
Every scrum he packs he should be penalised: his hips are always higher than his shoulders
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Although pushover tries rarely happen these days. The dominant/attacking scrum are more often than not awarded a penalty try. Sometimes this is the correct decision, other times not. Which is sort of how scrums are these days, as much a referee lottery and a penalty winning contest as anything else.
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
The Aussie front row is being a little unreasonably derided by some posters on here imo. As @Braveheart says, the starting scrum had few problems on the EOYT. Mostly, our problems arose with changes in the scrum. But the main problem was quite clearly not with the reserve props, but with the reserve lock. The evidence was that the scrum started to deteriorate when Will Skelton came on no matter whether Kepu was still in the front row, or either Alexander or Faulkner were then on the field. Further evidence is that against England, there was no collapsed scrum nor a single scrum penalty against Alexander in the period he was on the ground. And yet, as some contend, our scrum was totally dominated by the Poms. The only domination I saw was when the England prop bound at a significant angle, and the flanker moved forward to form a four man front row. That, coupled with some of our backrow failing to stay in until the scrum was finished accounted for most of our problems.
These things hopefully can be sorted with proper coaching rather than the resurrection of players who aren't even eligible because they are playing overseas.
I think Ben Alexander particularly has been unreasonably maligned by some as he has suffered most from the lack of effective support behind him in the scrum, but I wouldn't be overly concerned if either Holmes or Weeks (or PAE this year) are tried so long as they are in good form in the Super comp, but I fear they will suffer the same fate if there's not a change in reserve lock personnel.
These things hopefully can be sorted with proper coaching rather than the resurrection of players who aren't even eligible because they are playing overseas.
I think Ben Alexander particularly has been unreasonably maligned by some as he has suffered most from the lack of effective support behind him in the scrum, but I wouldn't be overly concerned if either Holmes or Weeks (or PAE this year) are tried so long as they are in good form in the Super comp, but I fear they will suffer the same fate if there's not a change in reserve lock personnel.
boyo
Mark Ella (57)
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
So should we move the conversation to who should be the reserve lock?
I'd like to see Skelton out. From my biased view, I'd like to see Adam Coleman in there. Dave McDuling seemed to do a great job in the scrums in the NRC. I'm a Luke Jones fan but I wonder if he will be considered more of a 6/8. The Brumbies will have a couple of interesting options too with Fardy probably moving back to 6 in Super Rugby.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Unfortunately there's one player not leaving, yet.............
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/w...ns-with-waratahs-and-aru-20150109-12kuoq.html
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/w...ns-with-waratahs-and-aru-20150109-12kuoq.html
T
TOCC
Guest
smart move, sign a 12month contract to let the dust settle and then pull out the old "i want to play NRL" card and demand $700k from the ARU when the shits blown over.
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
I thought someone from the Brumbies said he was now that Ben Mowen has gone. I see your point though.