Scrum call symptomatic of Force’s fate

It’s a little thing, a thing of ultimately no consequence but it’s another indication of how events conspire against the minnows.

It’s a little thing, a thing of ultimately no consequence but it’s another indication of how events conspire against the minnows of Super Rugby.

It was the last minute of the Western Force-Blues match in Perth on Saturday night and the Force, 13-17 down and desperately going for a win, have just shot themselves in the foot by losing an attacking lineout 5m from the line. They had the ball, then they lost it and the Blues pounced. It’s stacks-on-the-mill and referee Jamie Nutbrown _ yes, the same Jamie Nutbrown who used to play for the Chiefs and Crusaders _ awards the New Zealanders the scrum feed.

It’s all or nothing now for the Force. They must win a tight-head and score. But the good news is that they are packing eight forwards against seven because one of the Blues front-rowers has been yellow carded.

So now we come to the little thing: the Blues have one prop in the sin bin, another getting a concussion test. All teams are expected to carry four props in their match squad of 23, two starters, two reserves _ one a loose-head, one a tight-head _ but Nutbrown announces that he is going to uncontested scrums because one of the remaining, “live” props can’t scrum on the loose-head or tight-head side.

Those at the ground listening through “Sports Ears” are suddenly assailed with a sharp volley of “f” words as the Force players explode. Ben McCalman, who may have been captaining the side in Matt Hodgson’s injury absence, cannot believe Nutbrown has chosen to go this way. His jaw literally drops.

The scrum is set, no one pushes, the ball is passed back, kicked dead and the match comes to a close. The looks on the faces of the Force players say it all. They had more than their share of losses this season so it’s fair to say they are familiar with defeat but they have been completely soured by the way this match has ended.

Why all the consternation? Because the Blues actually gained an advantage from having a man in the bin. It’s supposed to be a punishment yet they have milked it to help them secure the win and the valuable competition points. Yes, yes, I know there are safety considerations but frankly I’ve never known a prop to reach Super Rugby level who cannot play both sides of the scrum. They swap and change all the time in training.

But even if this were a legitimate case, then there should have been flexibility within the laws to allow Nutbrown to come up with a solution that didn’t actively discriminate against the Force. Heck, if need be, recall the man from the sin bin and get the Blues to decide who to send off in his place. It wasn’t as though he was guilty of foul play or anything. He was merely the last in a long line of Blues players giving away penalties. So get him back on. Anything to ensure that it is legitimately eight versus seven in the scrum.

This is the second time this has happened to the Force in a match against a New Zealand side this season. For a short period of the Highlanders match, the referee went to uncontested scrums because one of the Kiwi props didn’t feel safe packing at loose-head, if I recall correctly. Which would have been fine except that it soon came to light that he had started three matches the previous season at loose-head.

Dare I say it, but another loophole has been found in the laws, ironically on the very weekend when referees belatedly were slamming the door shut on teams wanting to take rushed conversions to avoid the TMO reviewing tries. The Force themselves had tried to take a snap conversion in the same match against the Blues, so they are not entirely without sin, and it also happened in the Crusaders-Waratahs match as well.

If a loophole exists, teams will exploit it. It’s the nature of the cutthroat competition in Super Rugby, and relying on good sportsmanship is futile. That, sadly, is the first thing jettisoned in a crisis.

It was probably 50-1 against the Force claiming a tight-head but in a dramatically close game of rugby, those odds should have been played out and explored. Instead, the game ended in a manner that left Force fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

Over time, there’s been an accumulation of insults. The little things do add up. Why was Dane Haylett-Petty’s apparently legitimate try in the eight minute not referred to the TMO? Why was play halted so abruptly just before halftime with the Force a metre short of the tryline?

And now this ...

Early this week, Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver will land in Perth. Hopefully, he will be able to tell the Force staff precisely what is happening with the takeover/merger of their club. Many workers are fearful of losing their jobs and while redundancies are to be kept to a minimum, it’s a safe bet that all concerned want to be put out of their misery.

There is, as well, the future of the Force itself to consider. West Australians are hoping that now that the ARU has assumed control, they will go out of their way to make the venture work. Hopefully, that’s the way it pans out. And let’s not underestimate how geography will play a part. Having Perth parked somewhere a third of the way from the Australian east coast to South Africa is convenient, both from a television scheduling viewpoint and as a stopover coming from or going to the republic.

But other considerations might outweigh that. Even the ARU concedes that if having a franchise in Perth proves too difficult, the Force could be shut down and the players spread over the other four clubs. Now, at least, the rationale behind the ARU buying the Force’s intellectual property comes into sharp focus. If the ARU controls the brand, they control its future.

All in all, it’s not an easy time to be a member of the Sea of Blue. As Kevin ‘07 would say, a fair shake of the sauce bottle would be appreciated.