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The scrum is a means of restarting play after a stoppage which has been caused by a minor infringement of the Laws (for example, a forward pass or knock on) or the ball becoming unplayable in a ruck or maul. The scrum serves to concentrate all the forwards and the scrum halves in one place on the field, providing the opportunity for the backs to mount an attack using the space created elsewhere.

The ball is thrown into the middle of the tunnel between the two front rows, at which point the two hookers can compete for the ball, attempting to hook the ball back in the direction of their team mates. The team who throws the ball into the scrum usually retains possession, because the hooker and scrum half can synchronise their actions.

Jake Letts is the scrum half of the national men’s rugby 15s team. Click on the photo to enlarge.

The key player at the scrum is the scrum half. This player throws the ball into the scrum, moves to the hindmost foot of the scrum, and is usually the player who picks the ball up and passes out to the fly half who then distributes the ball to the back line. As soon as the scrum half picks the ball up, the opposition may contest for the ball and attempt to tackle whichever player is in possession.

– from the IRB Beginners’ Guide to Rugby

Jake

“Picture those wildlife documentaries where two huge rams slam together and head-butt each other for supremacy of the herd and you’ve got some idea of what goes on when a scrum is engaged. Brute force and strength are only half the battle. Proper, usually hard-learned, technique will invariably prevail over simple bulk. . .”

– from Rugby for Dummies

“The big cloud hanging over 2010 was the scrum. The new buzzword was “cadence,” as in the speed and rhythm of the “crouch, touch, pause, engage” call made by the referee…” Read the 2010 rugby roundup Misgivings Disproved in an Engaging Year in the NYT.

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We’re sending the orders for the Jake, Letts Hug It Out fan club T-shirts this week, so if you haven’t ordered yours, please get in touch with brewhuh23, angelagenevieve@gmail.com.