SCRUM ENGAGEMENT ISSUES:MUNSTER TEAM manager Shaun Payne has urged the International Rugby Board to consider the laws pertaining to scrum engagement following on from another weekend of mysterious interpretations and bewildering penalty decisions.
The southern province repeatedly incurred the wrath of referee James Jones during their 19-18 defeat to Treviso last Sunday, with the Welsh whistleblower coming down strongly on the Munster frontrow throughout.
Though Italian international prop forwards Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet and Lorenzo Cittadini demonstrated a keen penchant for early engagements, it was the Cork duo of Stephen Archer and Darragh Hurley who fared worst in the eyes of Jones, conceding five penalties between them during a torrid opening half.
South African prop Wian du Preez was introduced for Hurley at half-time but he suffered a similar fate, earning a yellow card on foot of his first scrum infringement.
It all seemed a little excessive with Munster perhaps the victims of their recently-acquired reputation as inferior scrummagers, a tag which also seemed to cost them against the Ospreys during the Heineken Cup pool stages.
Payne refused to criticise the referee’s performance, but declared considerable unease over a trend which seems to be increasing.
“There is a concern (about perception), and it is a talking point,” he admitted. “Whether that is correct or not is up for debate. It’s being discussed, and it would be remiss of me not to say it is a concern, because it is. If there is a preconception there and the first penalty goes against you, you are then up against it for the rest of the game.
“The only thing we can do is sit down, work on the scrummaging week-in week-out, as we are doing, and look to improve it and put pressure on other sides. We can change the perception that way.”
The current four-step engagement process was devised in 2007 to reduce the number of serous neck injuries to frontrowers. However, the scrum has become something of a lottery, and Payne believes the existing formula needs to be further examined by the game’s leading body.
“It’s all very well to blame the referees, but I think the whole structure regarding the scrums and the engagement calls is very much an issue for the IRB,” said the former fullback. “We are going into the World Cup, and the broadcasters are now carrying scrum clock times. It’s gone a little bit crazy.
“I have never played in the frontrow, I don’t profess to have a clue why a scrum collapses, and I guarantee there are many frontrowers who would look at it and wouldn’t know either.
“But I think that far too much of our attention – as a group here in terms of media, management and coaches – get drawn into this scrum-time debate. It needs to be sorted.
“It’s a macro issue and there is pressure on the teams, the coaches and the referees, who are under massive pressure to ensure scrums don’t last for three minutes with six resets, for example.
“Decisions are being forced,” he added. “What’s the solution? I don’t know, but something needs to be done.”
Munster will be looking to get back to winning ways on Friday night when they entertain Edinburgh in the Magners League.
Ireland international trio Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and Denis Leamy are all likely to start having secured their release from national camp.
Also in the mix are Denis Fogarty and Marcus Horan, who went head to head in the All-Ireland League last weekend, whilst Tony Buckley is back in training following his recent hamstring strain.
