Compliance Report - S14, Wk 5

Instructions have gone out from the IRB, giving a new procedure of scrum engagement and insisting on putting the ball straight into scrums, not stamping and not showing disssent.

1. Engagement procedure

The referees are complying and the teams are.

We could look at resets as a gauge.

In the first week of Super 14 2006, 62 scrums out of 136 were reset – 45%
In the first week of Six Nations 2006, 24 scrums out of 60 were reset – 40%

In the first week of Super 14 2007, 41 scrums out of 134 were reset – 30%
In the first week of Six Nations 2007, 22 scrums out of 48 were reset – 46%

In the second week of Super 14 2007, 37 scrums were reset out of 128 – 29%
In the second week of Six Nations 2007, 15 scrums out of 53 were reset – 28%

In the third week of Super 14 2007, 35 scrums were reset out of 146 – 24%

In the fourth week of Super 14 2007, 32 scrums were reset out of 107 – 30%
In the third week of Six Nations, 21 scrums were reset out of 47 – 45%

In the fifth week of Super 14 2007, 54 scrums were reset out of 146 – 37%

What was going down in Super 14 is now going up. Is this because front rows are gradually losing their innocence and finding ways of getting back to things less than honest?

The number of free kicks at scrums:

Six Nations:

Week 1: 5
Week 2: 5
Week 3: 5

Super 14:

Week 1: 2
Week 2: 6
Week 3: 13
Week 4: 13
Week 5: 11

The number of penalties at scrums:

Six Nations:

Week 1: 2
Week 2: 3
Week 3: 6

Super 14:

Week 1: 6
Week 2: 8
Week 3: 15
Week 4: 10
Week 5: 8

It will be interesting to note this big weekend coming, when we have Six Nations and Super 14 how many props put hand to ground during scrum.

2. Put it in straight

If you watched the Reds play the Lions and the scrum feeds by the Reds replacement scrumhalf, you would not believe that there had been any suggestion that the ball should be put straight into scrums. One feed hit the prop’s foot.

3. Stamping

100%

4. Dissent

It may be better but it’s a long way from perfect. Just watch Al Baxter’s reaction to being penalised – not for the first time – at a scrum.