Of 2020’s many surprises, perhaps none were harder to envisage than the revival of the rugby league scrum.
No, forwards haven’t started pushing. (Okay, maybe a few.) Instead, a tweak to the rules in the off-season has liberated outside backs.
Teams can now pack scrums in the centre of the field if they choose, a change that’s delivered dozens of tries this season.
And it has already earned New South Wales an easier Game II Origin victory than perhaps they deserved.
The Maroons aren’t the Rabbitohs
The Blues’ crucial third try last week, seconds before half-time, was the result of a carefully designed scrum play.
But watch how Queensland lines up with three defenders on either side of the scrum.
Not long after half-time, New South Wales were at it again. Six minutes apart, two almost identical plays were run. The second put Daniel Tupou over in the corner.
The defenders in the scrum may have broken quickly and rushed to help cover. But in all three instances the Blues had overloaded one side with four attackers. And Wayne Bennett’s team — even with the benefit of reflection at half-time — did not adapt.
It was a point even picked up on the Channel 9 broadcast.
But what’s most surprising is that Bennett’s Souths team lined up with four defenders on the right side twice against the Panthers in the semi-finals just four weeks ago.
The Blues’ scrum run-around
Come Wednesday there might be even more scrum surprises in store. Two weeks ago in Game I it was clear the Blues had a plan with their scrums closer to the halfway.
They very deliberately packed two — not in the centre, instead — on the edge of the field 30 metres out.
Although neither broke the line, Boyd Cordner’s eagerness and the use of a run-around first receiver in both suggest they’ve got some tricks to share.
Watching for a winger retreat
Nathan Cleary was brilliant in Game II, and his most memorable contributions were his kicks in behind Maroons’ winger Phillip Sami.
He secured attacking sets for the Blues on each occasion, with two drop-outs and a scrum.
Cleary’s talent makes this look easy. But it’s really not.
Here are other NRL players trying similar kicks early in the tackle count this season.
This threat, harnessing the speed and timing of Josh Addo-Carr, will tempt Queensland wingers Corey Allen and Xavier Coates (or others if Coates pulls up injured or Valentine Holmes is rotated) to drop off the line earlier.
If they do, watch to see if NSW can find yardage wide through the hands late in sets.
Queensland hosts New South Wales in the State of Origin decider on Wednesday night.
