Get your rugby locks to bind tighter on the props
In the modern game, locks don't (or should not have to) squeeze their heads through the gap between the hooker and prop. And they don't have to grab the bottom of the shirt or top of the shorts in quite the same way.
Get your locks to bind tighter on the props with a stronger grip through the legs and on to the hip.
Traditionally, locks have opted to bind on to the props up and through the legs, grabbing on to the shirt around the belly button area. But this has some disadvantages:
- The arm (the front of the elbow) is not in contact with the prop and provides loose movement.
- If the lock drives his elbow up and not forward, this can be very uncomfortable for the prop, causing him to lift up and not push forward.
The technique
The “telephone bind” provides a full arm bind in contact with the prop. The arm goes through the prop’s legs to bind on the side of the prop’s shorts or hip waistband, not the shirt, and as close to his own ear as the lock can reach.
The elbow does not drive up, but forward, providing better power transfer and greater comfort for the prop.
Using the telephone bind helps maintain tight shoulder to backside contact between the lock and the prop, which in turn, means that the transfer of power on the referee’s “engage” signal is easier to co-ordinate.
Care should be taken so that the:
- Lock does not push the prop forward before the engagement.
- Prop does not sit back on to the lock’s shoulder
Both of these factors mean that balance, timing and speed into the scrum engagement are compromised.
This article is from Rugby Coach Weekly.
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