Uncontested scrums

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Gents,

Was playing in a match last night and the opposing team's loosehead had to go off and they had no replacement props. The ref decided to have scrums go uncontested which pissed me off as we were hammering them in the scrum. I was pissed off enough as it was because they were playing fairly dangerously in the front row, although I think it was more down to lack of experience rather than malice. The ref was also an ex-winger or center and had very little emphaty for the rows. At one point I called neck in a scrum and the ref did absolutely nothing to intervene, I nearly smacked him!

Regardless, thanks to the wind and rain last night long, elaborate moves and passes amongst the backs weren't really on the agenda so it was a case of lots of crash and route-one ball which I was obviously enjoying as a hooker that loves to get the ball in his hand and try to break a few tackles!

Now to the crunch part of the question, the lads and I were debating after the match whether or not we could have done the following once scrums went uncontested:

Assuming scrums have gone uncontested in a game for whatever reason, and assuming we are playing a lot of route-one crash ball, can we switch the front row and the back row? That is; swap 1, 2 and 3 with 6, 8 and 7 respectively... and let our hooker pick and go from eight with the huge support of a prop loosely bound at flanker and another prop coming to take the second phase up straight away?

We're fairly sure we could have done it in terms of actually co-ordinating the phases after the scrum and such, but we just wanted to know were there any rules against it?

Stev_o

Cyrus Tinkling Camouflage wrote: »

Gents,

Was playing in a match last night and the opposing team's loosehead had to go off and they had no replacement props. The ref decided to have scrums go uncontested which pissed me off as we were hammering them in the scrum. I was pissed off enough as it was because they were playing fairly dangerously in the front row, although I think it was more down to lack of experience rather than malice. The ref was also an ex-winger or center and had very little emphaty for the rows. At one point I called neck in a scrum and the ref did absolutely nothing to intervene, I nearly smacked him!

Regardless, thanks to the wind and rain last night long, elaborate moves and passes amongst the backs weren't really on the agenda so it was a case of lots of crash and route-one ball which I was obviously enjoying as a hooker that loves to get the ball in his hand and try to break a few tackles!

Now to the crunch part of the question, the lads and I were debating after the match whether or not we could have done the following once scrums went uncontested:

Assuming scrums have gone uncontested in a game for whatever reason, and assuming we are playing a lot of route-one crash ball, can we switch the front row and the back row? That is; swap 1, 2 and 3 with 6, 8 and 7 respectively... and let our hooker pick and go from eight with the huge support of a prop loosely bound at flanker and another prop coming to take the second phase up straight away?

We're fairly sure we could have done it in terms of actually co-ordinating the phases after the scrum and such, but we just wanted to know were there any rules against it?

In theory yes but in your situation you'v already won the game with full points as a team is required to have two replacement front rowers on the bench, one prop one hooker.

Iv played a match where the opposition didnt even have any props and so it was uncontested throughout and we left our props on. You ll be surprised how valuable they become as ball carriers, if you take them off your effectively stripping a good 15 stone or more of the total pack weight in favor of lighter loose forwards

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

@Stev_o, cheers for that mate... as it happened it was a friendly last night, thought a hotly contested one. We're both in different pools in our J and we put some nice numbers on them last season but they are doing better in their pool this season so I think they wanted to prove something. They didn't.

We never considered taking the props off because game time is game time and last night was out last game until mid-January, we just thought after the game that it could've been some good craic to let us front row loose as the back row and run amokwith the ball from the base of the scrum!

[Jackass]

What was the story with your 8? Shouldn't he have been able to make these hard yards with 2 ball winners backing him up to protect? Although I would be very interested to see how a 1,2,3 back row wouold function

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

No, out 8 was grand but it was just a case of letting us front rows experience what it's like being able to break / pick and go from a scrum rather than being tied up for 5/10 seconds whilst the scrum breaks up and we get a chance to hit the 2nd / 3rd phase. Instead, with a 1, 2, 3 back row we'd be able to pound into the first two phases off the scrum - even better, whilst the opposition front row was still "scrumming" against our 6, 7 and 8. It would be great craic, picking from 8 and absolutely slamming into the oppostion 7 / 9 / 10!

mikedragon32

Once scrums go uncontested, you can do whatever you like with your pack.

In the J4 leagues here in Dublin either team can opt out of contested scrums before the game even begins, claiming they have no props (or an inexperienced front row). It's a joke. There is no penalty for doing this and it's making a joke of the game.

Tim Robbins

mikedragon32 wrote: »

Once scrums go uncontested, you can do whatever you like with your pack.

In the J4 leagues here in Dublin either team can opt out of contested scrums before the game even begins, claiming they have no props (or an inexperienced front row). It's a joke. There is no penalty for doing this and it's making a joke of the game.

Play a higher level than J4 then?
There's no way there should be scrums unless there are people who played front row and no what they are doing and have done the appropriate training.

anonymous_joe

mikedragon32 wrote: »

Once scrums go uncontested, you can do whatever you like with your pack.

In the J4 leagues here in Dublin either team can opt out of contested scrums before the game even begins, claiming they have no props (or an inexperienced front row). It's a joke. There is no penalty for doing this and it's making a joke of the game.

Better than having someone's spine go bye bye.

Rugby is extraordinarily dangerous unless you know what you're doing.

mikedragon32

Or how about those clubs go play league instead then, Tim?

Of course I appreciate the need to eliminate risk, however there is an element of gamesmanship in arriving to a match with no props when you are fully aware that your opponents will have trained with the intention of contesting the scrum. In recent years we have had matches against mainly senior clubs where this has occurred. You can't honestly believe that there is a shortage of eligible front rows in the likes of Mary's or the like?

Perhaps there should be a 24 notice rule that if you can't supply a front row you need to declare the day before the game so that each team can rearrange to suit?

I'm at the end of my playing career and not interested at playing any level above J4 (and given my fitness lately, not capable either!).