Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:40 pm  

Watching Hull vs Wigan - I am sure on two occasions that Hull have only put 5 players (once with the feed, once against) into their scrum... hmm. Is this how much of a farce our scrums have descended into in that we cannot be bothered to either put six men into the scrum or even officiate and notice the numbers in there?

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:43 pm  

Is that before or after they had a man sent off?

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:44 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

Is that before or after they had a man sent off?

After.

I have made a mistake if the rule allows them to have one less at the scrum and mods, feel free to delete this ill advised, erm, topic.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:22 pm  

Yeah they definitely can opt to not have a man in. I only noticed it this season when Amor was sent off on good friday.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:29 pm  

TheNo36 wrote:

Watching Hull vs Wigan - I am sure on two occasions that Hull have only put 5 players (once with the feed, once against) into their scrum... hmm. Is this how much of a farce our scrums have descended into in that we cannot be bothered to either put six men into the scrum or even officiate and notice the numbers in there?

If you are going to criticise the referees for something, I find it helps if you take the time to make sure you have a clue what you're talking about first.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:31 pm  

secondstanza wrote:

Yeah they definitely can opt to not have a man in. I only noticed it this season when Amor was sent off on good friday.

It's been a rule for as long as I can remember. Surprised that was the first time you noticed.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:16 pm  

Mr. Zucchini Head wrote:

If you are going to criticise the referees for something, I find it helps if you take the time to make sure you have a clue what you're talking about first.

Correct you are, and I put it down to the astounding discipline of modern-day players in that it is a scenario I rarely come across.

What alerted me to it was interestingly enough, the Wigan players clearly badgering the referee for saying that they were one short in the scrum. I shall take solace in that I wasn't alone in thinking it looked odd - again, I accept I was completely wrong.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Sat Sep 09, 2017 12:06 am  

More often than not teams will go 1 short at the scrum when they're a man down in order to preserve their defensive line.

I'd like to see clubs play against this more by using the scrum against the team with fewer players in it. Keep the ball in the scrum and push the scrum backward to gain ground.

Though this would require a change in the rules to allow the ball to be kept at the back of the scrum by the loose forward. But I think it may be a positive change and allow the scrum to be used more in general.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Sat Sep 09, 2017 8:55 am  

The laws relating to scrums refer to the maximum number of 'backs' (ie the number of players that are NOT in the scrum) that are allowed when there is a scrum. The maximum number of backs is 7. So if you only have 12 men on the field for example you only need 5 in the scrum leaving the said max of 7 backs.

Re: Numbers at the scrum : Sat Sep 09, 2017 9:05 am  

TheNo36 wrote:

Correct you are, and I put it down to the astounding discipline of modern-day players in that it is a scenario I rarely come across.

What alerted me to it was interestingly enough, the Wigan players clearly badgering the referee for saying that they were one short in the scrum. I shall take solace in that I wasn't alone in thinking it looked odd - again, I accept I was completely wrong.

Fair enough.

Pretty sure it was every scrum though, not just the one or two you mentioned.

In fact someone with a more intimate knowledge of the rules than me might be able to correct me, but I don't think it's even optional. I think you have to take one out of the scrum if you're a man down. Or maybe I've just made that up, but there's something at the back of my mind anyway.