So you think you know rugby laws: The ‘dark art’ of the scrum

Former Springbok assistant coach Matt Proudfoot loved to remind the rugby public that the scrum was something of a “dark art”.

The mechanics, the tactics, the subtle tricks and, frankly, the confusion all add to this set-piece’s mysticism.

Yet the scrum, as Stormers coach John Dobson bluntly noted a fortnight ago, “is getting a little bit frustrating for the game”.

Daan Human, Bulls and Springbok scrum guru. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

Even the Springboks’ director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, has admitted he’s not always all that clued up to the finer details.

So we chatted to the man he’s entrusted with keeping the Boks dominant when the two forward legions pack down during a match – Daan Human – to help provide some clarity.

And his message is clear: It doesn’t have to be confusing.

Is a scrum really a complex thing?

To be really honest, we South Africans probably try to make the scrum more complex than it really is. I think it’s part of our rugby culture. We’ve always been good at it and that prompts us to think that it needs to become complicated, probably because we believe we can then stay on top of things. It’s a source of pride.

I don’t believe that. I always preach that a scrum, at its core, is something that should be simplified. There are obviously a few technical things that need to be kept in mind, particularly when it comes to the front rows. But if you really narrow it down, the front rows are really only the guys that set in scrum in motion. It’s actually the back five – the locks and the flankers – that provide the momentum or resistance. If you hold your back straight, you’re already halfway on the way to a solid set-piece.

What we can never deny is that the scrum is – and is supposed to be – the heart of any team’s on-field effort. The team with the dominant scrum in a match will win that match 80% of the time. It has a massive influence on proceedings.

Are there too many scrum laws?

I firmly don’t believe so. The laws that govern the scrum aren’t formulated to make the game more complex. The sole reason is to consistently improve the safety of the payers. No positive result on the scoreboard for any team is ever worth a player getting injured. You don’t want a 16-man “structure” collapsing on a player. Most of the technical stuff are designed merely to keep the scrum stable.

Even if you can’t control all the technical aspects of a scrum, are there a few that a pack can get right most of the time to limit the times you get penalised?

Most definitely. Let’s not underestimate the job of a referee at a set-piece. He has a lot to look out for, but there are four “principles” that, if you get them right consistently, “closes” you off for certain, even needless, penalties. Firstly, it’s important to that your set-up looks “good”. It’s more an aesthetic thing. Does your pack look organised? Does your body language suggest you look “up to” the task? Are your feet planted solidly on the spot?

Next is to get your bind right. Do it properly. Get a decent grip from the start. Don’t be prickly and make a few attempted grabs before settling on one. Refs notice when you seem to be niggly. Thirdly, the “set” or engagement is arguably the most important thing to get right. The majority of penalties or free kicks come from an inferior “hit”. The “hit” is 80% of your whole scrum. It sets the platform. My general rule is that if you can count to two and the scrum stays stable, you’ll have a good set-piece.

But you’re not out of the woods yet. All you’ve done to date is try and establish your superiority. Now the ball still needs to be fed. So if you’re going to give it a good ol’ shove, you need to shove straight. This is where coaching comes in, where we learn a unit to try and not go sideways. It’s difficult when you have eight individuals pushing.

In general, if you get these four things right, you’ll avoid the whistle.

Is the standard of refereeing contributing to the negativity around scrums or are the refs overburdened?

A referee, to me, is like a player. The more he practices and the more he officiates, the better he becomes. I know two to three refs who’ve told me if they could they would officiate two matches per week. We tend to forget that a scrum is a fluid thing. It’s not something that stays the same. Yes, we as coaches teach our packs to play within the rules, but we’re still in the business of finding loopholes that can give us an advantage, such as different techniques or exploiting opposition weaknesses.

The more a ref is exposed to different match situations, the more confidence he gains and the more control he exerts. Refs have a difficult job. How long does the average scrum last? 10, maybe 15 seconds? That’s an unbelievably short period for an individual to judge and rule on all the technical aspects that he or she needs to look out for. 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have robust debates on the standard of refereeing, but let’s be fair. I’m good friends with Jaco Peyper and we have a two-way relationship. We ask each other questions and try to help each other. I always encourage refs to send me questions and I do the same. It’s about dialogue. We need to be patient and honest. Not blind, but fair. 

Why do the teams we support invariably get penalised for a dominant scrum?

(Laughs) Yeah, I think we can safely say that’s the one thing about the scrum that irritates people the most. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer, merely a few factors that come together. In modern rugby, most teams are so well prepared that it’s highly unlikely that a scrum will be dominated by a team from the outset. 

It’s a pressure game, a war of attrition. You need to keep chipping away, to ensure that the dam eventually bursts. It’s not going to happen the first time. In fact, you’ll find it’s the fresh front row in the second half that gain the reward, despite the starters actually laying the groundwork. 

When this happens, we come back to the previous point of referees having to be exposed to different match situations. For sixty, maybe even 70 minutes, the overall rhythm of the scrums have been consistent. Now, suddenly you see scrums going backwards and disintegrating. It’s instinct to be looking for something that might be different, maybe even illegal. Your whole mindset changes again and the frantic nature of a match in its dying stages makes indifferent decisions more likely.

I think all I can say is that you’ll find that some dominant shoves do tend to go sideways and that’s where it becomes illegal. Maybe it’s a timing issue or subs merely being too enthusiastic, but there’s invariably reason for being penalised. 

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