Never mind the ref, we can rule scrums says Gatland
Warren Gatland believes his British and Irish Lions can match the All Blacks scrum – however the setpiece is refereed, writes Nick Purewal.
Head coach Gatland was nonplussed by criticism of the Lions’ scrum in their impressive 12-3 win over the Crusaders, who fielded a full All Blacks tight-five.
The Lions appeared dominant at the coalface, save for one scrum where the hosts got the edge, resulting in a bout of jostling between the two packs.
The Crusaders appeared to be annoyed with referee Mathieu Raynal’s handling of the scrum engagement laws, but Gatland rejected those concerns and insisted the Lions have prepared to cope with every style of officiating.
“I felt they had one scrum where they had some ascendancy; there was one where they just got a little bit under us,” said Gatland.
“But I thought on the whole we scrummaged pretty well. I know there was some discussion, but I thought the referee did a good job.
“It’s an area that we’ll keep working hard on. We’ve spoken to the frontrowers about that. It’s not something I’m concerned about. I’m a little bit surprised that such a huge amount’s been made of the scrum.
“If you look at the numbers, in terms of every other area of the game, I thought we dominated – lineout, territory, possession, carries, line breaks.”
Whatever the policing when the front-rows pack down, however, Gatland remains confident the Lions have the versatility and the potency to cope.
“I know there’s some discussion about engagement,” he said.
“The ruling says you must have a small gap and in Super Rugby they preload. We’ve practised for both scenarios.”