Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Ex-Lions prop speaks out: 'Us fatties look at a scrum differently'

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Former Ireland and Lions loosehead Nick Popplewell has posted an interesting analysis about the intricacies of the scrum and how a strong set-piece is definitely still a weapon where a tighthead is the unsung hero of the entire pack. It was the 1990s when the Irish front-rower was in his playing pomp, winning 48 caps for his country and also starting all three Tests against the All Blacks on the 1993 Lions tour to New Zealand. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Popplewell finished his career as a Premiership title winner in England with Newcastle before returning to Ireland and going into the residential auctioneering business in Wexford. 

He has retained his interest in rugby and will this year be watching the Six Nations U20s championship with much anticipation as his son Ben, who is following in his father’s loosehead footsteps, has been included in the Ireland squad.   

Video Spacer

Francois Hougaard on Wasps beating Leicester and his memories of Bakkies Botha

Video Spacer

Francois Hougaard on Wasps beating Leicester and his memories of Bakkies Botha

In the meantime, Popplewell has posted a lengthy synopsis of the scrum to his followers on his LinkedIn page which has attracted much feedback after he outlined the enduring importance of the set-piece, mentioning how it was the decisive factor in the series-deciding third Test last August between the Springboks and the Lions.  

He finished up his post by including a picture from his Newcastle days showing a referee in the process of setting up a scrum. Highlighting what he described as a good, healthy gap between the respective front rows before they engaged, Popplewell signed off by stating his surprise that this type of extra gap wasn’t re-introduced to the game since the arrival of Covid.   

Scrum aficionados read on: here is the entirety of what Popplewell had to say. “A loosehead is only as good as a tighthead and vice-versa. I chuckle when I hear the great and the good doing their best to sound competent when analysing the scrum. Invariably it’s the loosehead that gets the plaudits when in fact it’s the tighthead that is the unsung hero.

“When a scrum goes pear-shaped it’s the poor No3 that gets blamed first because most of the weight goes through his/her side and he/she is seen to be retreating. The scrum, no matter how the great and the good try to change the rules to make it easier, can still be the deciding factor on games being won and lost (third Lions Test vs South Africa),” continued Popplewell, warming to his analysis.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The easy option of analysis is that if a scrum is in trouble the No1 or No3 is incompetent and need to be replaced. Us fatties look at a scrum differently. If we see a prop in trouble we obviously check his height, back and foot positions. Once we are satisfied with that, we check the back row are in strong pushing positions and are in fact pushing, not focusing on simply crucifying the opposing out-half.

“We then have a look at the second rows to see what they are at. Are they positioned low on the prop with straight backs and are they binding correctly? Once the above are in order we look at how the collective unit is functioning. Are they together and are they in time and hitting the scrum as one?

“Sometimes when an opposition has a particularly strong scrum, a pack has to be picked with that in mind, a gangly tall light second row needs to be replaced with a ‘door stop’, someone of the Jim Glennon/Brian Rigney/Mick Galwey/Aidan Higgins mould (scrummaging in front of these legends was like sitting in an armchair!). The door stop needs to be placed behind the tighthead.

“Yes, you are forfeiting a bit of speed around the park but others around will have to compensate. A week scrum is demoralising, hard to attack and defend off. A strong scrum is a very strong weapon!

ADVERTISEMENT

“Years ago we tried to sort out issues by applying some of the ‘dark arts’ of scrummaging (a smack or a headbutt, or two or three!) but times have changed and the TMO has to justify his/her free weekend away.

“Lastly if all else failed we (fatties) would reluctantly agree to Channel One Ball, which literally meant admitting defeat and the ball would go straight in on the hit and get heeled straight out of the scrum through an open gap, hopefully to be picked and got rid of by our scrum-half. It was a great attacking ball but not for the faint-hearted.

“The photo is one from my Newcastle days. The late Paul van Zandvliet at tighthead, our unsung hero, had no reverse gear and the 19-stone No6, Peter Walton of Scotland, was thankfully on my side of the scrum. His motto was scrum first, crucify someone second… (notice the good, healthy gap in the scrum. Surprised it hasn’t been re-introduced with Covid).”

Popplewell Newcastle scrum
(Photo via Nick Popplewell/LinkedIn)
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

34 Go to comments
j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
Search