Im a skinny prop

Question
IM 13,am about 5ft 6 and weigh 8stone 10lbs (55kg)i am currently playing loose-head prop for my club but most other props are much shorter and wider than me and the ones that are taller are nearly twice my weight,i have played second row and 6 and did a better job of them than the usual players. but my coach said that because i was able to match our head coach for strenght that he wants me to bully people in the front row.
i have just recovered from a knee injury and am really struggling at scrum time.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Answer
Hi Roy,

I am not sure if you are asking if you should quit prop or what to do about being a better prop. If your coach is putting you at prop then he must think you are doing ok or he wouldn't risk it. Don't worry about size. Eventually you will either fill out or if not you can consider moving back to flanker or something like that. Either way if you are getting to start games you are doing better than some poor guy who is on the bench each weekend, spare a thought for that.

If you you truly do not want to play prop then make the decision and accept that you could be a reserve or not starting as much. Talk to your coach about it.

I suggest really studying scrum technique A LOT. it takes a lot of specialized technique to be a good prop and if you are strong and fit you will demolish any other prop if your technique is good no matter what their size.

As a coach I would rather have a smaller prop with awesome technique over a large prop with poor or (more commonly) lazy habits. Large props tend to rely on their size which is no good at the end of the game when it counts. Technique is what allows a prop to scrum just as hard in the last 10 minutes as they do in the 1st 10.

Study technique a lot, here are some places to start:

Here is a link of technique  / body position which you should treat as your gospel:

Scrummaging:

http://www.coachingrugby.com/rugby/coaching/unitskills/scrum/buildingthescrum.ht...

http://www.usarugby.org/media/EDocs/scrum.pdf

http://www.texasyouthrugby.com/download/748/docs/Building_the_scrum.pdf

Also there are some GREAT pointers on You Tube. If you go to You Tube and search using the key words: "building the scrum" you will find a great set of videos about scrum technique originally from www.rugbydevelopment.com Get the whole team to view them. Key word search "Mike Cron scrum" for direct tips from the All Black scrum coach.

Keep looking on You Tube for video by Mike Cron and other professional coaches about scrum technique.

As for explosive power, a lot of it is timing. Get a team mate to stand next to the scrum machine doing the calls of a ref: "crouch, pause, touch, engage". Go through the calls on your own facing the scrum machine and work on your technique and get your team mate to keep you honest or better yet to film you. Increase your hit power. maintaining technique up the level of 'punch' you give the scrum machine. Do 5 sets of 3 - 4 hits. evaluate technique between hits.

Get with your hooker and loose head and do the same as a unit. Then add the locks. You need to really get the lock to time with you so they are ramming you into the hit with controll.