Donal Lenihan: Scrum 'skullduggery' not serving rugby well

Donal Lenihan feels the scrum in rugby union is in need of a major rehaul, adding that it's function as an attacking weapon in the game is no longer being utilised.

Speaking on RTÉ Sport's Against The Head, Lenihan referenced comments made during the recent World Cup, where eyebrows were raised a result of the number of penalties that came from the scrum during that competition.

The former Ireland international also highlighted the seven scrums awarded in last weekend's Dragons-Leinster clash in the URC, where "none of them were complete. We had four penalties and three free kicks".

It's a sense of frustration for Lenihan.

"The scrum is supposed to be an opportunity - 16 players in one part of the field - an attacking weapon," he added.

"It now takes too long to set up, too many resets. The whole mechanical process of setting the scrum is a way too long. It needs a major rehaul."

In how the scrum can be 'fixed', well Leinihan has no fixed solution, given changes introduced over the years.

"One of the reasons it's taking too long is a player safety issue. The engagement process has changed three or four times in the last while. The scrum was all about the hit, it was all about who had the ferocious hit, then that collision was taken out of it.

"I have a theory. You have a scrum coach who is on over 100k a year and he has got to make the scrum look rocket-science. It just takes too long for the scrum to be set up in the first place. The scrum differentiates us from rugby league - 16 players in one area of the field - but the ball never gets to the hands of the No 10.

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