Great Aussie scrum debate
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen accused the Wallabies of cheating at the scrum against the Springboks in Perth.
All Tests involving Australia immediately invoke debate over the strength of their pack at the set-piece, and with Hansen’s comments this build-up promises to be no different. Former Kiwi prop and now commentator, John Drake, also suggested the Wallabies’ engagement at the scrum was illegal, while New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore believes their scrum is improving.
Hansen intimated that Aussie scrumhalf Luke Burgess spun the ball into the scrum to ensure quick ball for the backs against the Springboks in Perth.
“They’re clever with the way they do things, you’ve only got to look at the way the halfback puts the ball in,” Hansen told reporters.
“They’ve adapted their scrum to suit the way they play. They don’t keep the ball in the scrum for a very long time.”
Hansen denied that Burgess didn’t put the ball in straight, but warned referee Craig Joubert to watch out for his technique.
“I’m suggesting you want to look at how he puts it in. How he holds the ball before he puts it in. It doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what the referee thinks,” said Hansen.
Drake was more scathing in his assessment of the scrum.
“I can’t believe they got away with what they did at scrum time with their technique of entering,” Drake told ABC Radio in Australia.
“The biggest thing I probably got out of the Test is the way that they probably cheated at scrum time.
“They pack very high, similar to what the Crusaders and the All Blacks did about three years ago,” he said.
“When they say crouch, they’re still high so the other team has to try and come up to them.
“It kind of puts them off, and then the Australians just dive straight down. I was pretty annoyed with that.”
The only player to join the debate so far has been Hore, who was more diplomatic in his assessment. He believes the Aussie scrum is no longer a weakness, as has been perceived over the last few years.
“Aussie have had a bit of a hard time in the scrums in the last few years but it definitely looked like they’ve got it together and they fronted up pretty well against what we know is a very good Springbok pack,” said Hore.
“Everyone’s probably gone over there to target their forward pack and they seem to have worked things out well.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
#90 vindicated:
Get with it. The Boks ONLY ever lose because the ref cheated.
Never outplayed.
Never inferior.
The ref only has a good game when SA win.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
The Aussies have form on cheating in the scrums. Remember the step to the left on the hit to depower the scrum a few seasons back ? It was Jake White’s repeated call on this that made the refs take note and expose the Aussie front row.The greatest quote was from the French linesman the day the Aussie front row was destroyed in the UK vs England or ? Wales . He ran in from the touchline as Dunning ” collapsed ” and said ” Mr Refereeeee , but they are too weak , too weak “. So let the ABs speak out. And so should we.