Page:Football, the Rugby game.djvu/42

32 skilled scrummagers. Most teams have recognized leaders in the scrummage, such as J. G. Walker of Oxford, Gurdon of Richmond, and many others, who keep careful watch over the whereabouts of the ball; the usual plan nowadays being to keep it just behind the first row of legs, so as to retain command of it until the opponents have been worked off it to one side or the other, when with a final effort the scrummage is "screwed" or "swung," and the team breaks away with the ball at their feet.

It is not sufficient for a team to be able to screw to one side only, they should be ready to take the line of least resistance, and to ensure this it is essential that all players should have their heads down in order to see for themselves in which direction they are to push, and because they can push with much greater force in that position than when standing up. The great points in scrummage-swinging are then to get command of the ball and to keep it, and for all to push in the same direction. It is no use trying to screw as long as your opponents have command of the ball. You must then use your feet to secure it for yourselves, and devote your energies to stopping your opponents from screwing you. It is for this purpose that a team must contain enough honest workers to be able to hold the scrummage; for if your opponents rush the scrummages the play of your backs is discounted, and you are extremely likely to be beaten. If the forwards find that they cannot take the ball out themselves, they must watch for a good opportunity of letting it out to their half-backs; and unless they are near their own goal, or unless they know that their opponent's backs are much stronger than their own, they should try to get it out in one way or the other as soon as may be. Long scrummages are at all times uninteresting, and when near the opponent's goal are distinctly bad play, For many years