Props are here to stay!
It is not so long ago that the intricacies of front row play were a mystery to most and the scrum signalled a prop’s primary role on the rugby pitch. However all that could change with the advent of a new phase in the engagement process.
Having investigated the safety of the scrum following recommendations based on medical grounds the International Rugby Board have passed a law to bring packs closer together and reduce the force on impact at the scrum. Referees now implement a new four stage process – ‘crouch, touch, pause, engage’ – under the new ruling.
Former Wales and British & Irish Lions prop Dai Young, now Director of Coaching with Cardiff Blues, believes the changes are a step in the right direction, but he realises there is a danger that Rugby Union scrums could become similar to those employed in the 13-man code.
“From a safety aspect it is a step in the right direction as there is now a unified gap, and hopefully the scrum will become a safer place. However what we don’t want to see is a shift towards Rugby League-style scrums,” Young told this website.
So does the added touch before engaging mean we could begin to see a gradual shift away from props as we know them, with less emphasis on the hit?
The extra phase in the engagement process has reduced the distance between opposing front rows, reducing the impact on the hit.
Even in the professional era where speed, agility and power are high on the list of requirements for players, props have remained roughly in the same mould as days gone by, with the customary exceptions to the rule.
Granted, props of today’s age have adapted to a faster and more athletic style of play, yet due to the emphasis placed on scrummaging they have had to retain their size and stature.
The scrum, before the new law changes, would serve as a battleground for opposing front rows, a chance for them to gain the upper hand. There was no required distance from which to engage, leading to bone-jarring charges and collisions with the opposite prop. The popular belief being that if you could win the hit you would be in control of the scrum.
But this may not necessarily be the case. While the scrum may have been de-powered somewhat, prop forwards will still need to be able to scrummage.
The focus now will shift towards power and technique, a factor that may well expose some props.
“The new law has definitely de-powered the scrum to a degree but has shifted the onus to power after the hit as opposed to big charging hits,” said Young.
“There will be more pressure on bigger props now as it will find out those with poorer technique who rely on wrestling their opposite man.
“It may well be that we gradually see the size and shape of props changing but there will still be a need for technique and power.
“The emphasis will now be on explosive power after the hit as well as a better technique as players will not be able to just rely on the hit.”
Where as Young can only speak from a coaching point of view, British & Irish Lions, Wales and Cardiff Blues loosehead Gethin Jenkins has experienced the changes at the business end of the game. Despite having only played three games under the new law, Jenkins has already noticed a considerable change.
“The new law will take time to bed in but what we are seeing already is a bigger focus on the power of props after the hit,” said Jenkins.
“There will still be the same battle between props as that is what we relish but now it won’t be down to who can hit the hardest. Whoever has the better technique will start to come out on top.
“In the past a prop who had a good technique was sometimes overpowered on the hit, whereas now all props will be on an equal footing to start of with – now it will be a question of who can out-manoeuvre the other then.”
On the suggestion that props will begin to change shape, with a greater emphasis on their skills and mobility as opposed to scrummaging ability,Jenkins was quick to refute the idea.
“If a prop has a good solid technique it doesn’t matter what size they are. They need to be able to do their basics well before anything else. The skills and agility in the loose will be an added bonus on top of that,” concluded Jenkins.
One thing is for certain: there’ll be less disruption at scrum time. It has not been unusual in the past to see scrums reset several times, all of which is detracting from the entertainment value to the paying public.
“At the end of the day we are in the entertainment business and we need to cut out long periods of play where nothing is happening because the scrum keeps collapsing. That is what was happening when front rows were too far apart, but now we are getting cleaner ball which can only be beneficial for the game and the players,” stressed Young.
“With so much disruption before this change it made the scrum a difficult platform to play from, where as now we seem to be more controlled.”
So it would seem that although the changes will take some time to bed down they will be benefits for all parties.
Our beloved props are going nowhere, they are just going to have to adapt their game slightly.
By Marcus Leach
