Why the Lions bent the ear of scrum expert Mike Cron this week
Lions forward coach Robin McBryde has admitted he spent more than half an hour talking scrums this week to Mike Cron, the World Rugby set-piece consultant who coached the All Blacks in 210 Test matches before stepping away from that work with the Kiwis in 2019. The scrum was viewed as a huge area of the game for Warren Gatland’s tourists following the demolition job which the Springboks carried out on England in the World Cup final.
It started dubiously for all concerned in last weekend’s first Test, referee Nic Berry getting forced to allow numerous scrum resets as the softness of the Cape Town pitch resulted in players slipping rather than being able to scrum properly in the early exchanges, but that issue settled down the longer the game went on and the Lions enjoyed some good second-half moments in that area.
Despite this encouraging effort, McBryde still took time out this week to chew the set-piece fat with Cron in the hope that the feedback received could help the Lions improve in time for this Saturday’s second Test rematch where the expectation is that the Springboks will try their damndest to get the series-levelling win.
“I had a conversation with Mike Cron on Tuesday morning just surrounding the scrum,” said Lions assistant McBryde. “Mike Cron is used as a consultant for World Rugby and is a great sounding board. Everybody in World Rugby knows Mike from a scrummaging point of view.
“I was on the call with Mike for well over half an hour in order to gain his views on a couple of things that I was keen to find out on. I can only speak from my own experience this week. Joel (Jutge, referees boss) has been in touch with Warren with regard to some clips that he wanted clarity on as well, so the process hasn’t been any different to what I have experienced in the past internationally.
A former player – whose own newspaper column caused rancour on the 2001 Lions tour – reckons there is an ulterior motive not related to the 2021 Test series behind the controversial carry-on by Erasmus#CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby #rassie #RSAvBIL
https://t.co/hH23U0J22p— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2021
“It was the same during the 2019 World Cup. I can only say I’m really happy with the way the week has gone and we weren’t surprised by anything that happened on Saturday with Nic Berry and we had a good conversation with the referees on Thursday. We’re genuinely happy with the way the process has gone this week.”
Scrum penalties were awarded last Saturday against Springboks duo Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe, as well as Lions loosehead Rory Sutherland, and while the initial main scrum talking point was how the turf struggled to hold firm, McBryde insisted the surface shouldn’t be a factor in this weekend’s second Test and added it wasn’t much of talking point when the Lions met referee Ben O’Keeffe and his team of officials on Thursday.
“We were disappointed with the first couple of exchanges we had in the scrum but everybody got to grips with that surface, especially the second half. It was pretty soft, softer in certain areas of the field, so it was just constant messages with regard to keeping our feet under us a bit more, making sure we get good purchase with studs in the ground.
“We saw a couple of instances where after the hit our feet just slipped back. The referee made the right decisions. Sometimes it was just ‘listen, boys, it’s a slip, let’s go again’. They are aware that the surface isn’t great. However, it is possible to scrummage on it as we saw in the second half in particular where you saw a good competition at scrum time.
“It will be the same this week. Both packs are more than aware of that but I don’t think it’s an excuse for numerous collapses. You may get one or two as you always do. Following that it will be a good spectacle. It [the pitch] wasn’t made a big thing of it really (at the referees meeting).
“It has been a dry week here and it’s going to be dry from here on into the game so hopefully that will help it… I don’t think it’s going to be a big thing in the game.”
No sign of a truce before Saturday's rematch in Cape Town as more fuel added to blazing fire#CastleLionsSeries #LionsRugby #rassie #RSAvBILhttps://t.co/KSHBA40syX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 30, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
This is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks 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 commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
2 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
4 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to comments