Sheridan out for the World Cup. Wallabies scrum starting to look a lot better

[Joe Mac]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...-rugby-world-cup/story-e6frg7mf-1226136552925

 

[antipodean]

The Wallabies scrum almost gave up a pushover try against Italy.

 

[Braveheart81]

The All Blacks scrum almost gave up a pushover try against Tonga.

 

[Rev Spooner]

The Poms don't lose much with Stevens - a very able prop. They brought out 5 props so they'll undoubtedly have the depth to cover their loss. Never write off a Pommy pack.

 

[antipodean]

Obviously we have different standards of what constitutes a push over try.

 

[Joe Mac]

I would never dare to write off a UK pack. However, without Sheridan they might lose just enough dominance to be able to scrum us out of the World Cup. The game may be decided on other facets of the game for once.

 

[antipodean]

I would never dare to write off a UK pack. However, without Sheridan they might lose just enough dominance to be able to scrum us out of the World Cup. The game may be decided on other facets of the game for once.

England will still have a powerful scrum, but the Wallabies are vastly improved from that 2007 effort. Alexander, Moore and Kepu are much better than Dunning, Moore and Sheperdson.

 

[Joe Mac]

Im not saying we can achieve parity by any means but hopefully we can hold up the scrum enough to not be embarrassed in this area. No Sheridan has to help us here

 

[cyclopath]

The Wallabies scrum almost gave up a pushover try against Italy.

Italy are a very good scrummaging pack.
That scrum was after 2 re-shuffles with a sub then a blood bin, and the Wallabies did not focus enough on it. The Italians did. They should have scored the try.
Apart from that, we won all our feeds, went back twice otherwise, and drove the Italian scrum back nicely on a second shove on their feed.
Overall, pretty good.

 

[Ignoto]

England will still have a powerful scrum, but the Wallabies are vastly improved from that 2007 effort. Alexander, Moore and Kepu are much better than Dunning, Moore and Sheperdson.

We're one injury away from looking very 2007ish!

 

[Jay]

The All Blacks scrum almost gave up a pushover try against Tonga.

Bollocks they did - the most the Tongans managed was about half a metre on the first scrum, the rest of them went sideways or stayed put. Hardly comparable to the Italian effort, where they'd have gotten the try if the 8 had either controlled the ball a bit longer or picked up a bit earlier.

As an aside - McAlman (I think it was him) who dived on the ball when it scooted out of the scrum had completely disengaged from the scrum. He was in the in-goal, but it's my understanding that while the scrum is still going (which it is until the ball reached the in-goal) defending players are still required to stay bound? Does anyone know if that's right?

 

[Jay]

Italy are a very good scrummaging pack.
That scrum was after 2 re-shuffles with a sub then a blood bin, and the Wallabies did not focus enough on it. The Italians did. They should have scored the try.
Apart from that, we won all our feeds, went back twice otherwise, and drove the Italian scrum back nicely on a second shove on their feed.
Overall, pretty good.

The Italians were well on top late in the match, though there were a few subs on for the Wallabies at that point & it may have disrupted the cohesion of the scrum.

 

[Blue]

People who think they lose scrummaging power haven't seen much of Stevens.

 

[Braveheart81]

It was Higginbotham who grabbed the ball.

The ABs gave away two scrum penalties and a free kick off the same 5 metre scrum. Whether all those penalties were deserved or not, I would say many referees would have awarded a penalty try by that point.

Hard to fairly compare a scrum that stayed legal and went backwards to one that kept collapsing so it couldn't be pushed anywhere.

 

[Jnor]

The Italians were well on top late in the match, though there were a few subs on for the Wallabies at that point & it may have disrupted the cohesion of the scrum.

The disparity late in the match may have had something to do with the fact that the game was well and truly sewn up by then. I think the Wobs could have scrummaged better but they weren't put to shame by a very very good Italian pack.

It was Higginbotham who dived on it. He was notionally bound (no actual drive) as far as I culd see until the ball came lose at the back and was out.

 

[antipodean]

The ABs gave away two scrum penalties and a free kick off the same 5 metre scrum. Whether all those penalties were deserved or not, I would say many referees would have awarded a penalty try by that point.

A penalty try based on what? The scrum hardly moved. There was an early engagement and the loosies not staying bound.

Hard to fairly compare a scrum that stayed legal and went backwards to one that kept collapsing so it couldn't be pushed anywhere.

Kept collapsing? If you're going to comment, at least try to be accurate.

Italy are a very good scrummaging pack.

I didn't suggest otherwise.

We're one injury away from looking very 2007ish!

If anyone is that important, it would be Kepu. Alexander is better than Dunning, but isn't brilliant. Moore is still (rightfully) there. Sharpe and Vickerman were the locks and the backrow was Elsom, Smith and Palu...

 

[Jay]

I would say many referees would have awarded a penalty try by that point.

Probably not, cause you'd hope most referees know a penalty try is for when a penalty prevents a probable try, and Tonga didn't look like scoring from any of those scrums. Cards are the sanction for repeat offences, not penalty tries.

In fact, given the Wallaby who pounced on the ball did so after detaching early I'd say there's a better claim for a penalty try for the Italians.

 

[Jets]

Bollocks they did - the most the Tongans managed was about half a metre on the first scrum, the rest of them went sideways or stayed put. Hardly comparable to the Italian effort, where they'd have gotten the try if the 8 had either controlled the ball a bit longer or picked up a bit earlier.

As an aside - McAlman (I think it was him) who dived on the ball when it scooted out of the scrum had completely disengaged from the scrum. He was in the in-goal, but it's my understanding that while the scrum is still going (which it is until the ball reached the in-goal) defending players are still required to stay bound? Does anyone know if that's right?

There is no off side in goal so Higgers was within his rights to disengage and steal the ball.

 

[Rev Spooner]

Bollocks they did - the most the Tongans managed was about half a metre on the first scrum, the rest of them went sideways or stayed put. Hardly comparable to the Italian effort, where they'd have gotten the try if the 8 had either controlled the ball a bit longer or picked up a bit earlier.

As an aside - McAlman (I think it was him) who dived on the ball when it scooted out of the scrum had completely disengaged from the scrum. He was in the in-goal, but it's my understanding that while the scrum is still going (which it is until the ball reached the in-goal) defending players are still required to stay bound? Does anyone know if that's right?

He was fine as he kept bound and only had to stay on or behind the tryline. As soon as the ball was out, Higgers had every right to dive on it.

 

[antipodean]

As an aside - McAlman (I think it was him) who dived on the ball when it scooted out of the scrum had completely disengaged from the scrum. He was in the in-goal, but it's my understanding that while the scrum is still going (which it is until the ball reached the in-goal) defending players are still required to stay bound? Does anyone know if that's right?

20.10 ENDING THE SCRUM

(a) The ball comes out. When the ball comes out of the scrum in any direction except the tunnel, the scrum ends.

(b) Scrum in the in-goal. A scrum cannot take place in the in-goal. When the ball in a scrum is on or over the goal line, the scrum ends and an attacker or a defender may legally ground the ball for a try or a touch down.


Hard to tell if Higginbotham should have been penalised because IIRC the ball had left the scrum and then Parisse dragged it back in.