Tighthead

Question
Hi buddy. I've been playing rugby for nearly two years now and I play at Tighthead at u18 level. I'm about 5'8'' and 185 lbs. I've got two things I'd like help with:

1. After a training session or game (especially with lots of scrummaging), my neck and shoulder blades get really tight and painful. Is this something I have to just get used to, or is there something in my technique that could be doing this? It really started getting sore after a bad hit in a particular scrum early last season.

2. I can take a pretty good hit in contact and keep going, but a often get the ball ripped from me or it gets taken on the ground. Any tips on keeping possesion in the close contact area?

Much appreciated,
James.

Answer
G'day James,

As for your neck, / #1: if you haven't already gone in I urge you to get your neck checked out. Neck injuries are too serious to "play through". Seriously - doctor, X-ray do it.

Next if you are coming into the scrum and your head is colliding with the other props shoulder it is a matter of time before serious injury comes. This collision is the most common form of injury even over a collapsed scrum.

I think you might be too high. You're only 5'8" ( I am 5'9" and a half) this is old school prop height and as far as I am concerned it is a huge advantage in the scrum.

Typically props have a weird tendency to engage like "gentlemen" in other words the come together nice and cleanly - shoulder to shoulder etc. This is good for safety but what a lot a props do is dip just before contact and that might be why your head is crashing into the opposition pros shoulder. You need to get lower on your crouch and keep  your eyes up and your head shrugged in. The back of your head needs to be up against your back like you are doing shoulder shrugs in weight lifting.


Next aim for the guys hips not his shoulder, make him come down to you, stay low.

Also check out these links:

http://www.myoquip.com.au/Scrum_equal_joint_article.htm


http://www.sru.org.sg/courses/the_scrum_mattryan.pdf

Stay lower, either you will have solid shoulder contact and have a lower center of gravity than the opposition player, thus having a biomechanical advantage or he will not make the hit , stand up or even pop up over you with you shoulder in his groin - if one of those two things happens you are low enough if not crouch more(at the knees, straight back)

If your hook or lock can't handle it work on it. As tight head you secure the scrum so take charge and sell the team on a lower scrum.

Cheers

Nick