Alex Sanderson has passionately defended the scrum and its place in the game amid cries to depower the set piece.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Springboks<\/a>\u2018 demolition job of Ireland\u2019s scrum during the Autumn Nations Series fixture in November has been met with fierce backlash after loosehead props Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy were sin-binned for technical infringements at the set-piece.<\/p>\n Pleas to depower the scrum<\/p>\n It is reported that the Six Nations unions will discuss whether front rowers should be sin-binned for indiscretions at the set-piece ahead of next year\u2019s tournament and are then expected to recommend changes to World Rugby<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn what other sport can you be sent off basically for not being as good or as strong as your opponent?\u201d One senior rugby figure told\u00a0The Times.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dominant scrum is already gaining a penalty as an advantage and then that is compounded by a yellow card. A yellow card should only be shown if a player tries to gain an advantage by breaking the rules or for dangerous tackles.\u201d<\/p>\n Cards for weak scrums under review? Six Nations bigwigs to plead with World Rugby after Springboks\u2019 dominance<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Sanderson<\/a> disagrees and has launched a passionate defence of the set-piece, blaming World Rugby for the current state of the scrums and how it has dominated games recently.<\/p>\n He argues that teams that don\u2019t sufficiently coach players to perform well in the scrums deserve to be disadvantaged, as they then benefit in other facets of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cThe scrum is such an import\u00adant part of the game,\u201d Sander\u00adson was quoted as saying by The Rugby Paper.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI coached it early in my career and appre\u00adci\u00adate the men\u00adtal dom\u00adin\u00adance you can gain over a side by being phys\u00adic\u00adally dom\u00adin\u00adant in a scrum.\u201d<\/p>\n England legend claims Springboks \u2018dominance\u2019 is overrated<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Law tweaks have resulted in more scrums<\/p>\n He added that depowering the set-piece would be criminal: \u201cThe scrum is spe\u00adcial to the sport and if you are unable to front up or pick play\u00aders able to do that because you are going for lighter play\u00aders or you are not robust enough, or you have not spent the time coach\u00ading props, tech\u00adnic\u00adally you should be at a dis\u00adad\u00advant\u00adage.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are prob\u00adably gain\u00ading an advant\u00adage some\u00adwhere else, prob\u00adably in mobil\u00adity around the park. It is such a big part of the game that to lose that ele\u00adment of being able to apply pres\u00adsure and get rewar\u00added would be criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n Since 2023, World Rugby have cracked down on \u2018escorts\u2019 and altered laws accordingly to pre\u00advents play\u00aders run\u00adning block\u00ading lines to pro\u00adtect a kick receiver. This has led to more contests for the ball in the air and, ultimately, more knock-ons.<\/p>\n Gloucester and Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne recently hit out at the law tweaks, stating that if he were a coach, he\u2019d be looking for athletic locks to play on the wing in order to exploit the rules that have allowed for greater competition.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately I think it\u2019s changed how everybody plays,\u201d Byrne told the Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody knows the stats: because of the new rules whoever kicks the ball is most likely to get it back.<\/p>\n \u201cIf those are the stats, which the top teams generally tend to follow, why would you not kick the ball?<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was a head coach of a country right now and the World Cup\u2019s in two years, you\u2019re going: \u2018OK, is there anyone who\u2019s 19, 20, a second-row or back-row who\u2019s a really good athlete? Can we make him into a winger in two years? Go chase some kicks?\u2019 Genuinely, why would you not do that?\u201d<\/p>\n