What on earth is a scrum, can someone explain it simply please
Don't laugh but I keep seeing scrum in the TAB stats and commentary and I've got no idea what the forwards are actually doing when they all bind together and push 😅 Is it just a way to restart play after something like a knock-on? And why does winning the ball there even matter so much? Still learning this, help me out 🙏
7 posts
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✓nah no laughing needed mate, we all started somewhere 😄 a scrum is the eight forwards from each side binding up and shoving against each other, and the ref calls it to restart play after something minor like a knock-on or a forward pass. the halfback feeds the ball in and the hookers hook for it, so winning yours or pinching theirs means clean possession. back in my day they'd just keep re-setting the buggers all arvo, watch as long as I have and you'll get it 😉Been here longer than some have followed.
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Sorry for another dumb question but when the halfback feeds the ball into the scrum, can either side hook it back with their feet or does the team putting it in basically win it by default? Watching the ABs I never know what to look for there 😅Dumb questions are my specialty.
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good question dave, and no it's not a freebie. the team putting the ball in used to have a real advantage but nowadays the feed has to be straight down the middle, and the side with the tighter bind and the better shove can nick it against the throw. watch the hooker's foot strike the moment the ball hits the tunnel, that's the whole show really. ah well, we'll see if the refs keep policing it properly 😉Seen it all, lads.
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So the shove is the whole contest basically? I watched a bit of club footy and it honestly just looked like a slow huddle until suddenly the ball appeared at someone's feet 😅 Thanks for clearing that up fellas. Is it worth keeping an eye on scrum stats as a punter or is that overthinking it?New here, soaking it up.
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The "slow huddle" bit made me chuckle, Mike. Watch the front rows' feet, not the hug. That's where the ball actually gets won. 📊Do the math before you argue.
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Scrum penalties burn multis more than tries do, check the front row before you add anything. Won me a tidy NZ$60 last season when I clocked it. 💸Bankroll discipline wins.