Official West Hartlepool RFC

not sure if you are aware but as of 1st january 2007 the scrum engage sequence is changing to CROUCH TOUCH PAUSE ENGAGE at all levels. more at RFU and IRB homepages.

All for safety but it would be good to hear from front rows about what they think

A solid engagement allows a team a better chance of winning a clean strike and getting the ball back and out quickly. Take that away by enforcing a gentler coming together and teams will have to put more effort into pushing and shoving when the ball comes in. This increase in pushing and shoving to secure ball/steal opponents ball will invariably result in more instability at scrumtime than you have after a clean hit and strike.

For my money it seems more likely that a spinal injury will result from a collapsed scrummage than a mistimed engagement. As usual it will be often down to policing by referees.

So were Aspatria a heavier pack then?:oP

One other point mentioned with regard to scrumage's is the 'Zero tolerance to the crooked feed' as of 1st of January 2007. will this make a difference:-|

With reference the mistimed engagement....the law change is designed to get the correct gap so that there is not a collapse on the engage.

This will bring a bit of skill back into hooking the ball and front row play in general. Also if you do it right you can still get a big hit from an arms length away.

All for getting rid of crooked feeds too - the most frustrating thing in the world is when you beat the other hooker to his own ball all game only to have the scrum half start putting it in the 2nd row for him.

How would you know what opposition hookers thought? :oP

When did You ever do that FRLE :oD

Slower engages are more dangerous than a solid hit.

If front rows come together slowly props are able to move their body position before the pressure comes on making the scrum more unstable and more likely for the weaker less experienced prop to be twisted or lifted, all causing possible neck/back damage. A crafty old prop can make a huge difference here.

When a good solid hit occurs, the presssure is on from the start, making the prop have to concentrate on where his feet are before the hit and making it more difficult to change body anngles during the scrum.

BB,

Busted nose Ben once watched me take 8 or 9 against the head from his mate Karlos and that was with the scrum half putting it in "at the 8's feet", Oh the joys of being 8 stone and being to twist into strange shapes.

Karlos has never been 8 stone!!! But he has twisted into a very strange shape:oD:oD:oD

8 stone? what when you were 12?
And why would Karls 9 put in at your 8's feet? ;-)

I reckon it's better for short fat clever props. It will just makes these 20 stone 6 foot something props struggle I think.

Benji, Benji, Benji,

Don't let me have to regale you of the days when I was skinny enough to embarrass you wingers with my amazing pace and agility, just because I have a pork pie addiction now.

In the proffesional and world stage this will suit the Zew Zealanders and Australians who are poor scrummagers but are physically strong enough. It will also suit the likes of Andy Sheridan for England. We will see bigger, faster more mobile props who will be much more like back row players

Perhaps it would help both Rovers and ourselves if we tried this new law in the Boxing Day game?