Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man - Kirwan is bringing back Auckland's rugby soul

Who would have predicted at the start of the season that heading into round 3 of Super Rugby, the Blues would be two from two, have two 4 try bonus points to go with that and sit joint top of the NZ conference? All this from a side of complete no names, a group in rebuild mode, a team with no passion from a city fed up with the lack of heart shown for far too long from this once mighty province.

How a couple of weeks have thrown early season predictions and expectations out the window. The catalyst for this shock start to the season? Well put it down to one man, Auckland’s most famous butcher, and no I am not talking about the Mad Butcher.

 

That’s right, I am talking about the butcher’s apprentice from Mangere, the man who went on to become one of the world’s great wingers, an All Black great, a world cup winner, a man who is fluent in Italian and proficient in Japanese, a man who has received a knighthood for his work in facing headfirst the problems with depression, a man who has travelled the world before returning for this challenge in his beloved Auckland. The JK effect is there, its powerful, its stirring, its building and I for one am loving it.

Scrum Science: Rugby Union Scrummaging by the Numbers

Having only ever played as a scrumhalf and fly half, I have always wondered what goes on in scrums. It is the real mystery in the game of Rugby Union. And I know that I am not alone when even the professionals are consistently confused by scrum penalties (a topic for another day maybe).

The set scrum, which was initially a means of restarting play after minor rule infringements, has become an integral part of the battle for physical and psychological supremacy over the opposition.

Every year we see law changes designed to make the scrum safer. I want to understand the 'science of the scrum' & why it is so dangerous in the first place.

The scrum science numbers below are summarised from a New Zealand study of professional provincial Rugby Union forwards.

Scrummaging forces were measured in this study using strain gauges fitted to the shoulder pads of a purpose built scrummaging machine. The average pack impact force at the hit in professional scrummaging is 10,850 ± 1170 N.

If you are anything like me, that doesn't mean much. To put this in perspective, a knockout punch delivers some 3,000 N. That is 1/3 of the the force in the scrum!




While more injuries are sustained in tackles, the high forces on the exposed cervical spine (neck) mean that scrummaging injuries are more dangerous. And this is why ESPN calls the Rugby scrum the ‘historically the most dangerous moment in sport’.

Is it all in the Front Row?

It is also interesting to learn who is contributing what to the scrum. In a separate article on the Biomechanics of Scrummaging, Milburn reported that the three members of the front row produced 38% of the forward force generated by the entire pack, the locks produced 42% and the loose-forwards 20%. The low force contributed to the total scrum by the loose forwards is attributed to the body alignment of the players when scrummaging, with the props and locks transmitting force directly forward, whereas the flankers push into the scrum at an angle. This might also be linked to a strength differential between the positions.



Does size matter?

Interestingly, teams composed of stronger individuals did not always produce more force than those containing weaker individuals. After the hit, the mean impact force that packs were able to exert was 66% of the sum of their individual forces. These findings emphasize the importance of technique and coordination among the members of the scrum pack to enable them to produce force effectively.

This would explain why smaller teams can still compete at the scrum.

Cameron West
Cameron is the Director of Pro Training Programs

Five young rugby union stars to watch in 2013

 2012 has long passed and the time to reflect has gone. So, today Dumptackle Rugby Blog gazes into the future, predicting 5 young union stars to shine in 2013. Have we missed a gem though? Is their an un-sung star in your country? Please let us know in the comments section below.




1. Charles Piutau (New Zealand and Auckland)

Explosive power, raw speed and an ability to break the line at will have made this former Wesley College schoolboy (a college which  incidentally also gave us the legendary Jonah Lomu) one of the most talked about young rugby players in New Zealand. Sonny Bill Williams may have departed after a brief but nonetheless sparkling stay in union, but Charles Piutau looks set to take up his mantle as the nation's ultimate line-breaker. At only 21 years old, Piutau has already starred in two IRB Junior World Championships (2010 - Tonga, 2011 - NZ), finishing as the tournament's top scorer during his second tilt at the title. Those scintillating displays from fullback helped fast-track him into Gordon Tietjens' NZ Sevens side later on in 2011 too but it was the tail end of 2012 which really got fans talking. His introduction to the Blues late in the Super 15 season (as injury cover for a depleted franchise) coincided with a return to form for the Aucklanders, with Piutau giving his fans a glimpse of the future with some particularly damaging counter-attacking displays. He then impressed further in the Air New Zealand Cup, turning the after-burners on again and again as he consistently dotted down over the line, leading his side to a final appearance against Cantebury. It wasn't quite enough to earn him a call up for the All Black's northern hemisphere tour, but it certainly gave the selectors food for thought. A strong showing in 2013's Super 15 may force their hand.

2. Gail Fickou (France and Toulouse)

France enjoyed a mini revival during the Autumn internationals, destroying  both Australia and Argentina with a potent mix of power, guile and flair, a quality which had been sadly missing over recent years. With a a new breed of young stars filtering through into the squad too, the future looks bright. Gael Fickou is the latest sensation to catch the eye, with a fine individual try against Leicester in the Heineken Cup introducing him with a bang to the wider rugby public back in October (as a prodigious 18 year old). Touted as the next Wesley Fofana, Fickou will do well to forge as big an impression as the Clermont man did in his debut international season last year, but if he does, France may just enjoy the most fear inspiring centre partnership in world rugby for years to come. The jury may still be out at this moment in time as the young man by his own admission isn't even the best centre in France, but as Toby Flood remarked following his side's loss to Toulouse; "He looks fantastic. He's big, he's rangy, he's going to fill out further and he's got good acceleration. He's certainly one to watch."

3. Johan Goosen (South Africa and Free State)

Johan Goosen broke the mould of South Africa's archetypal kicking fly-half in 2012, evoking memories of mercurial Sharks fly half Henry Honniball - who was a scurge to many Super Rugby sides in the late '90s. Although Goosen was still deadly with the boot (hovering at the top of the kicking stats before his season was cut short though injury), it was his varied array of skills that set him apart from his Springbok peers. He reguarly got the Cheetahs backline purring, notably inspiring a dramatic comeback against the Hurricanes in Week 6. As a side note, Goosen quite comfortably won our poll asking 'which young player had impressed the most in 2012' too, raking in 21% of the votes. He must have left quite the impression on you too, given he only played half a season! Goosen did recover in time to earn a spot on South Africa's tour to the northern hemisphere last Autumn though. With four caps earned on that tour, he will surely have an even greater influence in 2013, especially if Heyneke Meyer favourite, Morne Steyn, continues to struggle with form.

4. Freddie Burns (England and Gloucester)

While most young English school boys post 2003 modelled themselves on World Cup winning hero Jonny Wilkinson, Freddie Burns, a pupil of Beechen Cliff school in Bath at the time, took his inspiration from New Zealand's mercurial number 10, Carlos Spencer. Who could have guessed then that during the 2009/10 season he would be united with his childhood hero, as the Maverick Aucklander signed with Gloucester and encouraged the youngster to trust his instincts by playing what he sees in front of him? A product of the Kingsholm Academy, Burns scored 279 points in 30 games during his debut season last year and has progressed further this season, amassing another 240 points (as of 10th Jan 2013). While his attacking instincts have left many an onlooker purring in admiration, it has been his game-management and the accuracy of his goal kicking which have impressed those in the upper echelons of the English game. Having made his international debut during England's Autumn romp over the All Blacks, we can expect to see a lot more of this young starlet in 2013.

5. Craig Gilroy (Ireland and Ulster)

The Irish back division have undoubtedly stagnated over the last few years and some of the old guard will be looking over their shoulders given the quality on offer from their young provincial tyros. Munster's Simon Zebo made a superb start to his international career last year as he made a stunning switch from the left wing to fullback, while Ulster's 21 year old winger, Craig Gilroy made a similarly mesmerising entrance to the international scene. The 'Gilroy shimmy' had already been seen with some regularity at Ravenhill, perhaps most famously during his side's Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Munster in 2012. His try scoring exploits did not cease in the Green jersey either, scoring two on his debut against the Barbarians in May, a hat-trick against Fiji in his second appearance (sadly not recognised as a test) and then yet another try against the Pumas, as the re-invigorated Irish thrashed Argentina in Dublin. With Brian O'Driscoll surely coming to the end of his international career (having had his captaincy given to Jamie Heaslip for this year's Six Nations), there may be room for a new golden boy in Irish rugby and Gilroy's twinkling toes fit the bill perfectly.

'Farrell can deliver the Holy Grail'

Rugby expert David Kuzio believes the future of English rugby union lies solely at the feet of youngster Owen Farrell.

Owen Farrell may only be 21-years-old but if he is managed well, he could the man to fire England to World Cup success in 2015.

Farrell has an old head on very young shoulders and thanks to the mentoring from his father Andrew, who is a former dual code international, he certainly has the maturity and confidence to be England’s 'go-to' man just like Jonny Wilkinson in Australia in 2003.

England’s 2011 World Cup adventure in New Zealand was a total disaster and the sport of rugby cannot afford another failure like that.

Well in 2015, if Farrell still has the desire and determination he is showing now he could without a shadow of a doubt be the man to carry the Red Rose to glory.

Everyone remembers the euphoria generated when Jonny Wilkinson slotted over that dramatic drop goal in Sydney on Saturday, November 22 to bring home the trophy 20-17.

The Six Nations is a great tournament to compete in as Lancaster and his coaching staff can look at different players and certain combination, but one eye is always on the World Cup.

Plea for 2013 - Review the IRB Judiciary Process!

As the southern hemisphere teams returned home from their northern tours back at the tail end of last year, the IRB judiciary system faced increasing criticism from players and management alike. During the IRB's annual conference in Dublin in early December, the International Rugby International Players Association criticised what it described as inconsistencies in the judicial system and called for change.

Recent incidents involving New Zealand, in particular, have highlighted problems in the system. In September 2012, Springboks prop Dean Greyling received a two-week suspension after diving across a maul to deliberately smash his elbow into the face of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. This incredibly lenient penalty sharply contrasts with other decisions, like the four week penalty given to All Black hooker Kevin Mealamu for head-butting England skipper Lewis Moody in 2010.

In October 2012, McCaw was on the receiving end again, when he was unnecessarily kneed in the head by Australian flanker Scott Higginbotham – who then proceeded to head-butt McCaw in the ensuing scrap. Higginbotham received a two-match suspension for his actions, the light punishment probably due to the lack of force used in the incident.

Rugby vs Football - Comparison by numbers

Let's keep this simple. What's better, rugby union or football?

Most rugby fans have at some point or another taken part in a lively 'rugby union vs football' debate at a local publican, especially if you live in the UK, where both sports enjoy huge popularity.

For me there is no denying the beauty that can be found in either game on a purely sporting level. Artistry and athleticism are aplenty on both fields. The main difference lies in the 'spirit in which the game is played' (and supported). I'm not breaking new ground either by saying that increased commercialism in football has had an unquestionably perverse impact on the attitude of it's main actors from grass roots upwards too.

Perhaps it's for that reason (and maybe a few others too) that the likes of Richie McCaw, Chris Robshaw and Sam Warburton seem all the more approachable than say a young buck playing in his debut season for QPR, despite their superior fame.

I personally will probably never abandon either sport, but it's always interesting to compare some key statistics and that is exactly what one Dumptackle reader did. Step forward into the limelight....Adam Dodge, who created the beautiful infographic below. I hope you find it as fascinating as I did.

Concussion: Should there be rules regarding recommendation to retire?

The IRB decided to introduce the Concussion Bin for the current 2012-13 Aviva Premiership season, which will see players temporarily removed from the field of play for cognitive testing.

This will mean that the testing that takes place following a knock to the head will be far more thorough to ensure that any suspected concussion can be identified to prevent the risk of any short-term damage but, perhaps more importantly, everlasting long-term neurophysiological and psychological concerns caused by a second impact on an already concussed brain (Second Impact Syndrome).

In 2010, we saw the much-regretted retirement of John Fogarty on the premise of medical grounds due to consecutive concussions. The repeated concussions are thought to have been the cause of symptoms that were affecting his personal life, as well as his professional career.

Whilst this is a step in the right direction to managing and minimizing the risks associated with concussions and head-related injuries, should the IRB and national governing bodies be taking a much more firm stance on this?

Firstly by implementing more frequent medical examinations to assess cognitive actions on a more regular, scheduled basis and secondly, should retirement be encouraged as a serious option if there is a noticeable difference in the cognitive and mental performance of a player?