Usually 2 hours, maybe 2 1/2 but in 4 seasons as 4th at Warriors, no ref has ever arrived before me, and I get there 2 1/2 hours prior on average
Are you doing 4th or 5th for the HC this weekend with Andy?
To be honest I don't look at the props.
I am not bothered about a legal wheel (talking adults) only a whip wheel.
A whip wheel (to try and win a turnover) is usually characterised by the nearside flanker pulling the scrum sideways (as opposed to driving forwards) and all the back row running sideways (literally).
I agree that a prop is probably pulling on (and that is what you penalise for), but there are far more obvious signs to look for.
Interesting though is that pulling by a flanker is not a penalty offence, only pulling by a prop is. Although I'm sure we can all hit them with destabilising.
I had it a number of years ago, Chipstead v Croyden in the Semi of the cup. On Chipstead scrum, no movement steady as a rock, on Croydon's scrum, as soon as the ball went in the back row would step sideways causing one prop to drive forward and the other as a pivot who would move backwards slowly. Due to this they were effectively pulling the prop, who was maintaining a driving and pushing position at all times.
Croydon complained but I had no issue with it as it wasn't the front row pulling it around, and it certainly wasn't a whip wheel as Chipstead performed it so well it was almost art.
Croydon admitted to me in the bar afterwards that they were missing over half of their normal forwards who had gone and booked a ski-ing trip and had got snowed in so couldn't get back.
I always enjoyed refereeing a Croydon, always a very polite and friendly bunch to the refs and assessors, even when they didn't agree with us.
