The rules of engagement in a scrum have changes, with props now needing to bind to the opposite number’s rugby shirts. How will this change the game?
Watch any rugby union game and you’ll notice just how much time is spent on the scrum – the ball wasn’t fed in on time, it spiralled, and more often than not they collapse. On average, every scrum is reset around 3 times, a figure that needs to be dramatically reduced. Collapses started happening much more frequently since the new style rugby shirts came in, as they have much less purchase.
Not only is this a time wasting portion of the game, but it drastically increases the danger that the front row takes on. That’s why the International Rugby Body has introduced new laws to help improve the safety and reduce the amount of reset scrums.
What is the new law?
Previously, rival props would simply touch on engagement – normally a quick tap to show their distance – now they will be asked to bind prior to contact. This should allow them to gain much better purchase on the opposition’s rugby shirts, preventing them from going to ground during the shove. In addition to this, referees have been given precise instructions to penalise feeds that aren’t straight and packs pushing before the ball enters the fray.
What’s changed?
Unless you pay close attention to rugby or play as a forward yourself, chances are you won’t really see much of a difference. This was most likely intentional, the IRB was looking to create a safer game without changing the nature of the sport. However, it does appear that the only new law that seems to be making a difference is the ‘bind’ command. In the video above you can see the team making contact and pushing before the ball was put in – ideally, it would be this initial impact that should be prevented to make a safer, more stable scrum.
How it went down at the Rugby Championship
All major rule changes affect the way in which the game is played, and as you can imagine, set moves like this can be very awkward. The initial engages were approached like teenagers at a high school dance, neither side knowing quite where their hands were supposed to be and even after it was all figured out the ref had other ideas. There were arguments about what was considered a straight put in, which lead to quite a few free kicks and penalties being given away. OK, maybe time was saved from the set piece, but it seriously damaged the flow of the game and wasted time in other areas. These may just be teething problems, they could disappear with more practice and a better understanding of what’s needed. However, if this continues you can expect to hear plenty of angry fans and disgruntled players complaining that the ref’s calls on the scrum could completely decide the end result of any game.
Having said that, you can’t deny that the number of scrums that collapsed since the new laws were brought in were definitely lower than average. Therefore, once the problems have been ironed out, scrums could be much faster, more entertaining for the fans, more competitive for the players and definitely a safer set piece.
