Scrum Talk
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Sandpit Fan
Nev Cottrell (35)
Mario Ledesma? A former hooker to teach the prop's job? Mmmm
Yeah? Because the former props are doing such a great job?
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
Mario Ledesma? A former hooker to teach the prop's job? Mmmm
Yes. Why would he not know how to prop, as well?. He's also got to teach the locks and the loosies, but he's never played there, either. He's a scrum coach. And a pretty well qualified one.
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
I'm not sure, How was the performance of the Montpellier's forward packs in the last 2 seasons?
I prefer someone who I know his work, for example, Mauricio Reggiardo, former Pumas prop:
He was the Pumas forward coach in the first two Rugby Championships, and the Pumas forward pack was very good:
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
I'm afraid it doesn't matter who you would prefer. You're not hiring him. And just because you don't know his work, doesn't mean Cheika doesn't.
He's been at Montpellier for three seasons and has done very well there. As has been discussed already, the performance of the Montpellier pack has been good since he's been there.
He's been at Montpellier for three seasons and has done very well there. As has been discussed already, the performance of the Montpellier pack has been good since he's been there.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
Just because he isn't a household name in forward coaching doesn't mean much. Look at the improvement in the Japanese scrum in little over two years. From being dominated by the US Eagles to pushing the likes of the ABs and Scotland off their ball. I am glad somebody is thinking outside the box, I certainly hoped Deans would do it when he came on board, but after Foley left there was a steady decline and it became apparent to me Deans didn't play well with experienced authoritative assistants.
Strewthcobber
Andrew Slack (58)
Its really says something about the rugby innovation in this country if getting scrum help from 84 cap Argentina front rower who has been coaching forwards in France for several years is thinking outside off the box....
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
It's certainly taken a while for someone in a senior coaching position to realise that having your players coached by Australian front-rowers, who had technical deficiencies, means that the current generation will exhibit the same technical deficiencies. A lot of us have been saying this for a while, good to see that the penny has finally dropped.
Now we just need someone in authoirity to work out that if you select your junior and/or schoolboy rep tight five on what they can do around the park, rather than their core skills of scrums, mauls and lineouts, it will lead to problems at senior professional level.
Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
At least Mario Ledesma fulfills the criteria of grizzled, former front-rower from the NH with cauliflower. His Top14 coaching experience is a plus too.
What I find enlightening though is a very colourful description of him on his wiki. You don't often see many personal views or opinions on wiki pages. Maybe it's significant?
If he is in fact the Wallabies scrum coach, hopefully he imparts his knowledge on to the back five forwards as well.
What I find enlightening though is a very colourful description of him on his wiki. You don't often see many personal views or opinions on wiki pages. Maybe it's significant?
If he is in fact the Wallabies scrum coach, hopefully he imparts his knowledge on to the back five forwards as well.
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
He was a recognized hooker around the world, he was the starting Pumas hooker for a decade, I've seen many games of him, and he was a top world class hooker. I would have preferred it to be a former TH prop, but if you say he's good, he should be. I haven't seen many Montepellier games to put my hands in the fire for him.
The main problem is that we have a few months before the WC, this should have been done many years ago.
The main problem is that we have a few months before the WC, this should have been done many years ago.
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
Or anyone else who understands the scrum for that matter.......
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
Because the TH prop is the most important player at the scrum time. This is very easy to prove, if you look a scrum from above:
The TH prop has to push against 2 players: the opposite hooker and the opposite LH prop. While the LH prop only has to push against a player, the opposite TH prop.
The TH prop is using his two shoulders, while the LH prop only uses one shoulder, that's a big difference. Usually the front rowers with more experience play at TH prop and rookies play at LH prop. If you have a top class TH prop, you can hide your scrum problems, if Zirakashvili had been Aussie, Wallabies wouldn't have problemas at the scrum. With Zirakashvili as starting TH prop and Kepu as reserve, the scrum wouldn't be a HUGE problem as it is now. Wallabies would crush the Poms with running rugby.
Yeah, Mike Cron comes to mind, imagine the horror if he was contracted with his lack of playing time at THP
Because the TH prop is the most important player at the scrum time. This is very easy to prove, if you look a scrum from above:
The TH prop has to push against 2 players: the opposite hooker and the opposite LH prop. While the LH prop only has to push against a player, the opposite TH prop.
The TH prop is using his two shoulders, while the LH prop only uses one shoulder, that's a big difference. Usually the front rowers with more experience play at TH prop and rookies play at LH prop. If you have a top class TH prop, you can hide your scrum problems, if Zirakashvili had been Aussie, Wallabies wouldn't have problemas at the scrum. With Zirakashvili as starting TH prop and Kepu as reserve, the scrum wouldn't be a HUGE problem as it is now. Wallabies would crush the Poms with running rugby.
I appreciate the need for solid THPs, but the need for the scrum coach to have to played there is simply bullocks.
Communication skills, the ability to impart knowledge and motivate are the key requirements of a coach, not playing ability
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
It's just a personal opinion, of course that a hooker can be a great scrum coach, there are many cases.
The Pumas bajada scrum was all about a concerted 8 man effort (and also a focus on getting the power through the hooker more than through the props) so you'd assume his focus will go far beyond the front row.
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
Just to be a smartarse, Cron was a THP for the Junior All-Blacks and also in the NPC. Believe his brother may have actually played a few games for the ABs, also at prop.
TBF, this was obviously 30+ years ago and the game has changed a bit in that time.
The real point is that he's been a scrum coach for most of that time and has become a scrum guru. One thing that's possibly relevant is that Cron is not a big man. In his playing days had to develop a good technique to compete instead of relying on brute force. That leads in to being a good technician as a coach.
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