How many not straight scrum put in's have been called so far in the RWC?
I've seen one not straight pinged. Can't recall the game but think it was the match after Japan beat RSA as I was listening in the car on the way back from Leigh RFC.
IIRC Mr. Dawson was apoplectic with rage because the feed that was pinged was no more crooked than any that went before or after.
I think that's the issue (consistency) isn't it? Wallabies vs Fiji wasn't perfect but was better than some and it led to a far more interesting contest at the scrum due to the need to hook the ball or move the scrum. I think that it should be consistently enforced with reasonable guidelines. The trigger I'd been using when it was a focus was to determine if the ball would have come out the otherside unmolested if noone moved their feet. That allowed for scrum movement, slightly off center, slightly crooked... a scrum version of inside shoulders at the lineout.
I can't think of a reason to not enforce it other than the powers that be might consider it to be reducing the completion rate further?
It is hardly difficult to propel the ball parallel to the goal lines with one end of the ball jusrt running alongside themidline, and the vast lajority of the ball closer to your own hooker. that is advantage enough surely?
didds
No apology Iron Lung but straight is straight and in the vast majority of cases it has not been. Consistently wrong simply does not make it right. At club level, my experience is that we enforce it based upon the law book, not on 'entertainment' value. What makes it seem worse is that all too often refs in the WC do not appear to be even looking for it.
It is an honest question. I have watched maybe 75% of the matches and don't recall one....
To me, this is the perfect reason why we need to make sure there is a straight feed.In the scheme of things...I'd say they have bigger fish to fry. Like square and steady and seeing which clown is collapsing it. Priorities. If everything else is perfect at scrum time then worry about the feed. Sadly there are plenty of other things not working at scrum time that need full attention of the referee.
I am positive they work on these things already.If one pack knows they haven't got a hope in hell of winning the ball (because it's being chucked in directly to the 2nd Row) they have too much time on their hands and will spend it dreaming up more and more devious ways of making life as awkward as possible for the opposition - whether that is pulling the opponent down, wheeling the scrum, twisting, hinging, pulling it forward etc etc etc.