Wallabies scrum too mechanical

[Burgs]

Wallabies scrum too mechanical

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, c/o Rugby Heaven

A sports scientist who has worked with the All Blacks says the Wallabies forwards are concentrating too much on using scrum machines in practice.

The Wallabies are relying on using scrum machines for 80 per cent of practice, while the All Blacks use them only 20 percent of the time, says Dr Mark Sayers.

The Sunshine Coast University senior lecturer told a local paper too much time on the scrum machine could lead to bad technique, especially when the machine did not push back against the forward pack.

A former sports biomechanist with the All Blacks, he offered the free advice on the eve of presenting scientific papers on the biomechanics of scrum machines to the sixth World Congress on Science and Football, in Turkey later this week.

He will speak on the All Blacks' approach to "running rugby" and on the biomechanics of scrummaging.

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"It's really looking at how the world's best players do things, and how do you teach that to other players," said Dr Sayers, who has worked for three national teams - the All Blacks, the Wallabies and Italy's 2003 world cup side.

He was a member of the ACT Brumbies coaching staff from 1999-2003.

He has been the All Blacks biomechanist twice, most recently since 2004 and will be on the management team at the 2007 World Cup in France next September.

NZPA

[frontrow]

I agree, totally...when i was playing we used to spend most of our scrummage time, after pre season that is, training against the second grade scrum...We still used the machine but only to work on more technical aspects such as grip (see al baxter) and positioning of players, but it didn`t compare against the actual impact of a forward pressing scrum (ie second graders) who were eager to steal our positions and definately contested these scrums...

[Burgs]

Scrum still needs work: Foley

January 19, 2007

AUSTRALIA assistant coach Michael Foley says the Wallaby forwards still have a massive distance to go in their improvement, but is heartened by statistics showing they have already lifted their line-out play.

Foley, who was the starting hooker in Australia's 1999 World Cup winning team, joined John Connolly's new look back room staff last year as a restarts coach.

The pair were in the forefront of trying to restore Australia's reputation in the scrums after the Wallabies were demolished in that area in the 2005 end of year tour.

The selectors blooded several new forwards last year and most critics agreed there was some improvement in the Australia scrum.

"There's a massive distance to go. What we weren't going to do in 12 months was improve enormously in terms of technique and physically," Foley said.

"I think the most pleasing thing was on the back of wonderful leadership from Dan Vickerman, Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom, Phil Waugh and George Smith, guys like that, there was a real confidence that, 'yeah, it might not always be perfect, but we're going to have a go'.

"I think first and foremost before you get any sort of improvement or any huge improvement the environment has got to be conducive to that and mentally our forwards are very keen to do well.

"They understand that they haven't done well, that's clear, no one is kidding about that.

"But there have been certain improvements, some of them not as noticeable statistically.

"All those stats can tell lies, we have improved across the board in out line-out play and we've improved in terms of how well we do on opposition ball.

"Where we need to improve dramatically is on our own ball on the scrum, that's straight forward, and the players are very determined to do that."

Foley said all four Australian Super 14 teams had been very supportive of the Wallabies initiative to try and "upskill" their forward game and noted each of them had placed more emphasis on set piece work.

AAP

[Burgs]

Another take on the same press conference:

Pack has massive way to go

Rupert Guinness
Saturday, January 20, 2007

A WARNING first: with the dawning of a new season and the World Cup eight months away, this is not what a Wallabies player or follower will want to hear.

When asked how far off the Wallabies forward pack is from being where they should be if they are to become a feared international force, Michael Foley, who has the task of nurturing them, says: "There is a massive, massive distance."

Even more frightening, the Wallabies forwards coach and former Test hooker believes that bridging the great divide in time for this year's World Cup that starts in France in September was always going to be beyond reach after the national squad was passed on from axed coach Eddie Jones's hands to John Connolly's.

"What we weren't going to do in 12 months is improve enormously in terms of technique and physically," said Foley, who this week cast his eye over some of the established and lesser-known talent he hopes will prove him wrong. Foley attended training sessions at the Waratahs and Brumbies, who meet in their first Super 14 trial of the season at WIN Stadium in Wollongong tonight.

But it isn't all bad news relating to one of the most closely analysed and criticised departments within the Wallabies squad.

"Foremost before you get any improvement, or huge improvement, the environment has to be conducive to that," Foley said. "Mentally our forwards are very, very keen to do well. They understand that they haven't done well. That's clear. No one is kidding about that.

"But there have been improvements, some not as noticeable. Statistics can lie, but we have improved our lineout play and in how well we do on opposition ball. Where we need to improve dramatically is on our own ball in the scrum."

On that note, Foley rejects comments this week by sports scientist Mark Sayers that the Wallabies train excessively on scrum machines to the detriment of their technique. Sayers, who is on the New Zealand Rugby Union books and works with the All Blacks, claimed the Wallabies spent 80 per cent of scrum practice working with machines compared with the All Blacks' 20 per cent.

"He doesn't have any detailed knowledge of our program. He hasn't been to a [Wallabies] session this year," said Foley. "He hasn't spoken to me so far at this point. And as far as I know he hasn't spoken to [Wallabies scrum guru] Alec Evans. Anything else out of that would be a guess from his point of view."

Like many, Foley will be keen to see the Waratahs and Brumbies forwards show how they perform in a game after having seen them train in live or controlled sessions this week.

After consulting each other about what they want to achieve from the first trial match of the year, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie and Brumbies counterpart Laurie Fisher agreed to select line-ups that will test each other's younger stars.

One who is keen to show his steel is Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau who, since the Wallabies tour last year, has been granted an exemption to play because of his need for game time despite having been listed for "restricted training activities".

"It is one thing I didn't get much of last year, so I am looking forward to hitting the paddock once again," said the 113kg rake who toured with the Wallabies in 2005, as a bolter, and last year, but still has only two Test caps to his name. Polota-Nau is aware, too, that with incumbent NSW No.2 Adam Freier (hamstring) out injured, and only one more trial against the Crusaders next Thursday to come, tonight is an opportunity to make the jersey his for round one on February 2.

Not that that has stopped Freier from chipping in with some help of his own. At training and in between sprints to test his fitness, Freier has been regularly offering tips to his younger teammates, Polota-Nau and fellow hooker Al Manning.

"He pretty much has the experience out of all the hookers," said Polota-Nau.

In time - if it comes, that is - Polota-Nau will have that, too.