Eggshell Scrum
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The Eggshell Scrum
Introduction
The Eggshell Scrum is not my idea. It was invented by Doug McClymont - Christchurch College of Education and Mike Cron of the New Zealand Rugby Union. I only present it in simple language. If you want to read the full article in the original South Pacific Biometricspeak Native Dialect go to Total Impact Scrum
The Eggshell Scrum has been used first by the Hurricanes 3 years ago, now employed by all NZ teams and recently taken on by Australia. I have been talking this through with Doug for a number of years now, and it is the key to the NZ ability to field smaller props who hold their own in the first phase and dominate in third phase.
i) Props line up first, approximately 1.5 meter apart
ii) Hooker then comes in backwards from the front and takes a "soft" position between them
iii) Locks and Flanks join and come is as a single unit
iv) Locks "hold" the props backs, who lean forward from the hip, waiting to explode. (As opposed to your style of the Props leaning back on their locks at setup)
v) Eighth man pulls Locks back. While all follow the "engage", it is in fact the number eight who drives the engage. The master of this is Rodney So'ialo.
vi) Called the "eggshell" Scrum because at setup you can put an egg between the players and it must not break.
vii) The scrum move from soft to hard and is driven by the lower body. The feeling is like releasing a stretched out elastic band. The result is a devastating hit that gives you strong instant own ball, without even having to engage them.
viii) I would guess in lower leagues it would also give you the option of the tighthead striking at the ball on their put in!
The problem with the above is:
i) It would take at least 3 full sessions, the first one with the front row only, to get it
ii) It takes a total player commitment. If any one of you players starts out wrong the whole thing is wrong.
If you do not get it right you risk actually getting worse with the scrum.
