Lions 2021

[tigerburnie]

Nice to see Jasper get a start at number 8

[Cardiff Tig]

I'm not convinced Vunipola's scrummaging is a bad as everyone has made it out to be. The WC final was a bad game but that was one game a long time ago.

Price was disappointing in the first test. If he's not going to bring quick ball, which he didn't, then I'm not sure he's the player to start the test.

[JP14]

Price did well in the circumstances of the Boks targeting the breakdown in my opinion.

[JP14]

Well done Jasper and van Staden!

[westwinds31]

I'm not convinced Vunipola's scrummaging is a bad as everyone has made it out to be. The WC final was a bad game but that was one game a long time ago.

100% agree with this. Mako is a decent scrummager. He held his own last week when he came on, solid as a rock. In the WC Final 2019 it was Marx and the Beast targeting our own Dan Cole and Jamie George that destroyed the England scrum. For some reason he’s got the blame for it but he’s clearly a world class player. I’d start him as his work rate, tackle count, ball handling and carries are superb.

[Scott1]

One good outing doesn't all of a sudden make him a good scrummager. Spends most of his time on his stomach at scrum time

[mightymouse]

Mako played well at scrum this time because the replacement tight head decided to bore in on the hooker ( for which he should have been penalised is refereed correctly) and Mako drove into his exposed ribs which is the way to deal with a tight head who cheats in that way. Sutherland had already done that before departing. Starting against their starting tight head made be a different story.. we will see what happens now the roles are reversed.
Price box kicked well and tried to clear the breakdown quickly but was playing when the Boks pack where in the ascendency and was generally clearing up rubbish. Murray came on when the ball was much cleaner and did little with it.. I’m not saying he played badly just he had an easier ride so why change it?

[mightymouse]

It was largely agreed that the poor performers were Biggar, Luke Cowan - Dickie and Daly
The former 2 keep there places and the other is on the bench still! The decisions are just peculiar.

[Offside]

I thought that Mako did well last week because he planted his legs and did not drive forward. When he tries to drive he ends up flopping or giving penalties. Finger crossed that he can do the same again this week.

[longlivethecrumbie]

One thing I did find interesting, which I don't recall having seen before, was Mako initially binding on the hand of the hooker and then moving to the shirt once the scrum was stable.

Does anyone on here recall that happening before? Is that a reasonable tactic and is it legitimate one?

[westwinds31]

One good outing doesn't all of a sudden make him a good scrummager. Spends most of his time on his stomach at scrum time

I didn't say that. My point is that he's a better scrummager than people give him credit for and that the finger always points at the WC Final 2019, when there was more to it than just Mako.

[Cardiff Tig]

Mako played well at scrum this time because the replacement tight head decided to bore in on the hooker ( for which he should have been penalised is refereed correctly) and Mako drove into his exposed ribs which is the way to deal with a tight head who cheats in that way. Sutherland had already done that before departing. Starting against their starting tight head made be a different story.. we will see what happens now the roles are reversed.
Price box kicked well and tried to clear the breakdown quickly but was playing when the Boks pack where in the ascendency and was generally clearing up rubbish. Murray came on when the ball was much cleaner and did little with it.. I’m not saying he played badly just he had an easier ride so why change it?

I'd argue that Murray has better game management and kicking (not that Price did badly) and that, like you say, Price will have a greater impact later in the game as Murray showed he isn't that sort of player.

Its similar to the Care example when he had to start for England and showed he's not a starter.

[sam16111986]

One good outing doesn't all of a sudden make him a good scrummager. Spends most of his time on his stomach at scrum time

I didn't say that. My point is that he's a better scrummager than people give him credit for and that the finger always points at the WC Final 2019, when there was more to it than just Mako.

Mako is a solid but unspectacular scrummager. He's often compared to Marler who is a destructive scrummager (unless he's up against the polar bear) which doesn't help his perception. You don't get as many caps as Mako has by being weak in the scrum.

Actually I feel that Mako got away with it a bit in the RWC final and the finger of blame got somewhat unfairly pointed at Coley.

One bad game at the RWC was also not indicative of Mako's contributions at the tournament. He was an integral part of the side that beat NZ the week before for instance.

[mightymouse]

Once upon a time the Tighthead would bind on the hookers hand to stop his signal to the scrum half but as he was doing it on the loose head side and the reason for that is negated by feeding nowadays, who knows?
The only others reasons I can think of are either it’s easier to bind on a hand than a fat sweaty mans tight sweaty nylon shirt or because he felt the hooker was slipping his binding!

[Scott1]

Funny how Cole gets the blame in the RWC final yet as soon as Marler came on the scrum stabilised and in one scrum we even took them to pieces!