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Hi, I'm required to coach the tight 5 to right wheel?
Hi, I'm required to coach the tight 5 to right wheel a scrum - yes, it's for an exam. I have researched it - including talking to forwards - and all of the sparse info out there describes unlawful techniques. I can make a stab at almost anything apart from this 'black art' as I have no references to use. Help!
D MacKay
I know it is difficult to find advice on this as so much goes on in the scrum but wheeling a scrum is a legal excercise and if the scrum turns 90 degrees the defending side wins the put in. An attacking side would perhaps use the wheel to put their back row into space.
So the scrum can be legally wheeled in adult male rugby (unless a specific country prohibits it by applying IRB U19 scrum laws for safety reasons).
But it cannot be wheeled illegally :
- boring in by prop to force scrum round
- pulling on by props, or flankers (usual one)
- stepping pre and post engagement
- deliberate whip-wheel on one side (prop, flanker, second row and #8 all pull round)
To wheel a scrum one side must push harder than the other - through the tight head if wheeling to the right. This can be coached by getting the front 5 to get low and drive through the opposition loosehead as soon as the ball is put in.
Here are the relevant Laws:
20.1 FORMING A SCRUM
(a) Where the scrum takes place. The place for a scrum is where the infringement or stoppage happened, or as near to it as is practicable in the field of play, unless otherwise stated in Law.
(b) If this is less than 5 metres from a touchline, the place for the scrum is 5 metres from that touchline. A scrum can take place only in the field of play. The middle line of a scrum must not be within 5 metres of the goal line when it is formed.
(c) If there is an infringement or stoppage in in-goal, the place for the scrum is 5 metres from the goal-line. The scrum is formed in line with the infringement or stoppage.
(d) No delay. A team must not intentionally delay forming a scrum.
Sanction: Free Kick
(e) Number of players: eight. A scrum must have eight players from each team. All eight players must stay bound to the scrum until it ends. Each front row must have three players in it, no more and no less. Two locks must form the second row.
Sanction: Penalty kick
Exception: When a team is reduced to fewer than fifteen for any reason, then the number of players of each team in the scrum may be similarly reduced. Where a permitted reduction is made by one team, there is no requirement for the other team to make a similar reduction. However, a team must not have fewer than five players in the scrum.
Sanction: Penalty kick
(f) Front rows coming together. First, the referee marks with a foot the place where the scrum is to be formed. Before the two front rows come together they must be standing not more than an arm’s length apart. The ball is in the scrum half’s hands, ready to be thrown in. The front rows must crouch so that when they meet, each player’s head and shoulders are no lower than the hips. The front rows must interlock so that no player’s head is next to the head of a team-mate.
Sanction: Free Kick
(g) The referee will call \“crouch\” then \“touch\”. The front rows crouch and using their outside arm each prop touches the point of the opposing prop's outside shoulder. The props then withdraw their arms. The referee will then call \“pause\”. Following a pause the referee will then call \“engage\”. The front rows may then engage. The \“engage\” call is not a command but an indication that the front rows may come together when ready.
Sanction: Free Kick
(h) A crouched position is the extension of the normal stance by bending the knees sufficiently to move into the engagement without a charge.
(i) Charging. A front row must not form at a distance from its opponents and rush against them. This is dangerous play.
Sanction: Penalty kick
(j) Stationary and parallel. Until the ball leaves the scrum half’s hands, the scrum must be stationary and the middle line must be parallel to the goal lines. A team must not shove the scrum away from the mark before the ball is thrown in.
Sanction: Free Kick
You can see all these with videoa to help at IRB Laws.com.
I hope this helps
Simon
Hi Simon
Thanks for your help. One would think, as one is expected to coach it, the rfu would provide advice on how to do so! At least some Key Factors or something.
Of the sparse information out there, much is contradictory. For example one coach suggests the 2R have their right foot forward to provide more impetus to RH side of the scrum and so the TH, where as another suggests left foot forwards to provide a clockwise shearing force to encourage the wheel.
Humph!
D Mackay
did you have any luck in finding info for that session?
Simons post to your question gave you a head start in my opinion. You only have 10 minutes so you cant do much. I think its an absolute joke task for level 2. There is ZERO documentation from the RFU coaching on it, nor does the CPD on Scrummaging address it. So how can you work on "best practise"? You can't. Whatever you do decide on, the tutor can pull it apart if he wants to or tell you what a good boy you are :)
Good luck with it.
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