Episode 33 - Dan Leo & The Big "R"

10 bucks says if England, Ireland, France or Wales won a World Cup with a dominant scrum - we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

Barking up the wrong tree there Bull, I didn't like it when Wales did it with Adam Jones in his pomp either!

And the talent drain begins because there's not much enthusiasm playing for Australia. Why would there be ?

State school participation is clearly different though and I suspect that numbers are dropping, but I wouldn't imagine that would impact overall playing numbers given historically the vast majority of English rugby players have come through the private school system. Not sure what the actual historical breakdown is, but would guess it would have to be at least 85% private and 15% state if not lower on the state end.

Of course, you ideally want more participation across all demographic groups irrespective of socio-economic background something which Eddie Jones famously called for. I think rugby scholarships handed out to talented state school youngsters, perhaps sponsored by the RFU via Prem. and Championship clubs is probably the most viable pathway for emerging state school talent.

My sense is that, much like Australia and even New Zealand, rugby is a private school thing and not producing the numbers as they once did?

I’d like more stats around how many scrums are adjudicated incorrectly per game before I’d agree with the term lottery. Can’t be so hard to do if we’re measuring how much time we’re saving in games down to the second?

Where is the data to back your claim that scrums are a lottery?

And I’d hazard a guess that refs make multiples of greater errors reffing rucks. Missing all sorts of things regularly and having a greater impact on results overall than the less than a handful of scrums that might be called wrongly over 80 minutes (on a bad day).

10 bucks says if England, Ireland, France or Wales won a World Cup with a dominant scrum - we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

It would be scrums this and salads that for days.

Scrum penalties lead to points on the board. A “free” attacking run. Or a territorial gain. These are positive things that move games in a direction. Put pressure on defending teams and adds to the intensity of the game.

They’re much more than just a reset.

Just because the NH arrived to the party recently, we’ll change the game to suit you guys. And be good little Southern Hemispherics and know our place.