Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
My only doubt about all this is that the IRB probably don't have enough sense to implement such a thing. If it goes through it will get the approval of several old rugby front rowers like Poms Moore and Vickery who have spoken out against the power hit. No doubt there will be opinions the other way too.
One thing for sure - the old props should be consulted on it and I hope that there are some even older guys who played in the 60's and 70's also. Then it should be trialled at a lower level - going up to higher levels over time, like any ELV.
There is too much force generated in the power hit in professional rugby and the vectors have to be aligned just so to keep the scrum up. This power hit has destroyed the scrummage as it has lead to too many collapses, too many impact injuries the disappearance of the tunnel as props struggle to keep their feet, and the consequent need, and acceptance by referees, of the scrummie to put the ball in skew into a clear space behind his hooker's feet.
It has therefore destroyed one of the wonderful things in our game: the contest of hookers hooking for the ball. When commentators makes noises about a tight head now I think: "Tight head my arse; the lock kicked it forward."
The power hit has also spawned the abomination of the early engage as the front rows try to win the sprint for the gap. It just gives the referees another thing to get wrong and they do.
Worst of all it devalues the work of the dominant pack as referees play "Guess Who's At Fault", whistle and throw an arm up.
There are a few referees in this forum who will give po faced rebuttals but many of these gents never saw the scrums in the old days when the dominant scrum dominated as it should, without many collapses.
In the old days the packs just folded into each other but were not allowed to push. Sometimes the scrummie would be off picking up the ball and the 10 tight five guys were all packed down then the backrowers would pack in when the scrummie was ready.
There was no push until the ball was put in (that law incidentally hasn't changed). It was only then that everything happened. A weak scrum couldn't get away with an early hit or just getting lucky and getting it right on the money. Nor could they get the benefit of the referee luck when a scrum went down. They went down some but not nearly as often as now. And yes there were a few whistles when a team pushed too early but they would not compare with the "too earlys" now.
Too soft, too easy for below average scrummaging team? Ask any old codger who scrummaged against the Boks in their days of pomp just before or after WWII if they thought they got any change with referees' guesses. There was no place to hide then because the referees knew who was at fault more than now.
I've heard all the arguments against these matters since I started writing about it about 5 years ago when the consequences of the power hit became more and more apparent, and no doubt the same arguments like: "There is no problem if it is done right" (give me a break), but none have resonated with me.
As I have mentioned before: after the RWC is a good time to start an ELV on the matter. I had hoped that it would have been after the last RWC but after this one will do. Let's hope they get it right.
One thing for sure - the old props should be consulted on it and I hope that there are some even older guys who played in the 60's and 70's also. Then it should be trialled at a lower level - going up to higher levels over time, like any ELV.
There is too much force generated in the power hit in professional rugby and the vectors have to be aligned just so to keep the scrum up. This power hit has destroyed the scrummage as it has lead to too many collapses, too many impact injuries the disappearance of the tunnel as props struggle to keep their feet, and the consequent need, and acceptance by referees, of the scrummie to put the ball in skew into a clear space behind his hooker's feet.
It has therefore destroyed one of the wonderful things in our game: the contest of hookers hooking for the ball. When commentators makes noises about a tight head now I think: "Tight head my arse; the lock kicked it forward."
The power hit has also spawned the abomination of the early engage as the front rows try to win the sprint for the gap. It just gives the referees another thing to get wrong and they do.
Worst of all it devalues the work of the dominant pack as referees play "Guess Who's At Fault", whistle and throw an arm up.
There are a few referees in this forum who will give po faced rebuttals but many of these gents never saw the scrums in the old days when the dominant scrum dominated as it should, without many collapses.
In the old days the packs just folded into each other but were not allowed to push. Sometimes the scrummie would be off picking up the ball and the 10 tight five guys were all packed down then the backrowers would pack in when the scrummie was ready.
There was no push until the ball was put in (that law incidentally hasn't changed). It was only then that everything happened. A weak scrum couldn't get away with an early hit or just getting lucky and getting it right on the money. Nor could they get the benefit of the referee luck when a scrum went down. They went down some but not nearly as often as now. And yes there were a few whistles when a team pushed too early but they would not compare with the "too earlys" now.
Too soft, too easy for below average scrummaging team? Ask any old codger who scrummaged against the Boks in their days of pomp just before or after WWII if they thought they got any change with referees' guesses. There was no place to hide then because the referees knew who was at fault more than now.
I've heard all the arguments against these matters since I started writing about it about 5 years ago when the consequences of the power hit became more and more apparent, and no doubt the same arguments like: "There is no problem if it is done right" (give me a break), but none have resonated with me.
As I have mentioned before: after the RWC is a good time to start an ELV on the matter. I had hoped that it would have been after the last RWC but after this one will do. Let's hope they get it right.