Q: What is the best way to make an impact as a small scrum half when everyone else just knocks you out the way? How did you cope if you were ever dropped for the bigger guys?
(Patrick James, 17, Edinburgh/London) A: Are you implying that everybody knocks me out of the way!? Scrum-half is one position where your defensive role is slightly different to everyone else's. You tend to play more of a sweeping role, therefore you don't tend to have too many front-on tackles - that's to your advantage. If you come up against bigger guys you generally don't try to tackle them up top and put in big hits. You generally take them a bit lower and make sure you get them down. I don't remember ever being dropped for any bigger guys and I don't think being huge as a scrum-half is a particular advantage. You need to be low to the ground in terms of the passing. It certainly helps being strong, so if you're old enough then doing weights will help. In many ways, scrum-half is a unique position. You don't have to be bigger and more powerful than your opposite number - it's more of a finesse position. Q. How is your relationship with Rory Lawson and Mike Blair, the other scrum-halves? Do you think the competition raises the game?
(Iain, 15, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis) A. All three of us get on pretty well, we've known each other for quite a few years now. Rory and Mike were a year older than me in age-group stuff, so I did compete with them for a little bit. I was at university with Rory Lawson so we've been friends for quite a long time. It is competitive amongst us but we don't speak about it. It's underlying. Does it raise our game? Yeah, it probably does. The extra pressure every time you play means you can't afford to slip up. If you get a chance, you have to do well otherwise someone else will step in, so it's probably good for us. Q. We had a successful day in penetrating the Irish defence [during the World Cup warm-up games] but didn't have much success against South Africa. Was the Springbok defence that much better than Ireland's, and what can be done to improve our penetration generally?
(Alan, Hampshire) A. Overall, the South African defence was slightly better than Ireland's that day but at the same time we probably didn't attack quite as well against South Africa. What's been done to improve it? We're always working on various little things. Looking at the video of the South Africa game, we've identified the problems and are working on those in training. We do have guys who are capable of breaking the line, guys like Sean Lamont, Rory Lamont and Andy Henderson. If we get the right sort of platform we will cause defences problems. Q. Would you recommend a grubber kick - as used so often in rugby league - as an attacking option for a modern rugby union scrum-half?
(Ewan Brannan, 13, Leeds) A. Yes, certainly. The attacking kicking game is becoming more prevalent in the modern game. Defences are getting better organised so little rugby league-style kicks and cross-fields and grubbers are becoming quite effective, but there is a difference. In rugby union if you kick it away and it doesn't pay off you generally lose the ball, whereas in rugby league they'll kick it back and you get another chance. You can't use them all the time but they can be effective. Q. Do you find it hard coming on as a substitute or do you prefer the extra space when the game opens up?
(Stuart Keenan, 15, Dubai) A. I don't prefer coming on as a substitute - it's not ideal. It's probably quite an important role. Because of the way coach Frank Hadden uses the subs the scrum-halves do tend to get a bit of game time. I would certainly rather start the game and come off after 60 minutes. Q. In the Six Nations game against Italy, and again against South Africa, the side had a "mad six minutes" when we leaked three tries which cost us the game. What is being done to ensure that we don't have another mad six minutes during the World Cup?
(Bob McDowall, 47, Bromley) A. I'm pretty confident that won't happen again. The way we tried to start the game was by being expansive and it didn't pay off, but equally, with a bit more luck and better execution it could have worked out a lot better. It wasn't the most conservative way to start a game. The first 20 minutes are generally tighter affairs with a bit of kicking, trying to get yourself into the game. That's the way most teams start and in must-win games you would probably stick to this more traditional gameplan and that could be what we'll try to do. Q. Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks and nobody expects the team to win the World Cup. Do you expect to do either and, if so, how can a squad keep believing in the face of the prevailing view.
(Dave P, 41, Edinburgh) A. It's probably important to understand that the squad is in its own little bubble and we don't necessarily read or take in everything that is said in the media. That's fine for people to have their own opinion and speculate on the outcome of games. We're involved in games so we have our own plan and our own agenda, so it doesn't really matter too much if people have written us off because we're not going to believe it. Q. Do you think Scotland will go hell for leather against New Zealand or try and do damage limitation?
(Mark Hemmings, 45, Yeovil) A. I think going out with the intention of damage limitation would be suicide against New Zealand. There's no way you could defend against a side like them for 80 minutes. We have to attack them, keep the ball and reduce the number of turnovers because we've seen how deadly they are on turnover balls. Damage limitation's not an option, we have to try and put them under pressure. Q. Chris, my team-mates and I are amazed at the fantastic condition the players are in after your pre season. What kind of and how many gym sessions did you and the players have to do to get these amazing gains in size and power?
(Sam Ness, 21, Perth) That's classified information! Basically we did a lot with a five-week period over the summer of nothing but weights and fitness. I can't remember the exact combinations but (conditioning coach) Mark Bitcom had the masterplan and it seemed to work quite well! Q. I am a scrum-half like yourself (at least as in I am a scrum-half). I have decided that in this modern era it is not that important for the scrum-half to always be at the breakdown - rather we should perhaps be adopting left and right scrum-halves in open play. Discuss?
(Danger Malky, "30+", Edinburgh) A. Without it being called left and right scrum-halves, I think that kind of thing goes on - it's a good way of speeding up the ball and obviously if there's a guy already there he can get the ball away a lot quicker than a scrum-half running 50 yards to do it. Chris will be answering some of your questions during the World Cup. If you would like to ask him a question, fill in the form at the top right of this page (website users only; not available on mobiles).
(Patrick James, 17, Edinburgh/London) A: Are you implying that everybody knocks me out of the way!? Scrum-half is one position where your defensive role is slightly different to everyone else's. You tend to play more of a sweeping role, therefore you don't tend to have too many front-on tackles - that's to your advantage. If you come up against bigger guys you generally don't try to tackle them up top and put in big hits. You generally take them a bit lower and make sure you get them down. I don't remember ever being dropped for any bigger guys and I don't think being huge as a scrum-half is a particular advantage. You need to be low to the ground in terms of the passing. It certainly helps being strong, so if you're old enough then doing weights will help. In many ways, scrum-half is a unique position. You don't have to be bigger and more powerful than your opposite number - it's more of a finesse position. Q. How is your relationship with Rory Lawson and Mike Blair, the other scrum-halves? Do you think the competition raises the game?
(Iain, 15, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis) A. All three of us get on pretty well, we've known each other for quite a few years now. Rory and Mike were a year older than me in age-group stuff, so I did compete with them for a little bit. I was at university with Rory Lawson so we've been friends for quite a long time. It is competitive amongst us but we don't speak about it. It's underlying. Does it raise our game? Yeah, it probably does. The extra pressure every time you play means you can't afford to slip up. If you get a chance, you have to do well otherwise someone else will step in, so it's probably good for us. Q. We had a successful day in penetrating the Irish defence [during the World Cup warm-up games] but didn't have much success against South Africa. Was the Springbok defence that much better than Ireland's, and what can be done to improve our penetration generally?
(Alan, Hampshire) A. Overall, the South African defence was slightly better than Ireland's that day but at the same time we probably didn't attack quite as well against South Africa. What's been done to improve it? We're always working on various little things. Looking at the video of the South Africa game, we've identified the problems and are working on those in training. We do have guys who are capable of breaking the line, guys like Sean Lamont, Rory Lamont and Andy Henderson. If we get the right sort of platform we will cause defences problems. Q. Would you recommend a grubber kick - as used so often in rugby league - as an attacking option for a modern rugby union scrum-half?
(Ewan Brannan, 13, Leeds) A. Yes, certainly. The attacking kicking game is becoming more prevalent in the modern game. Defences are getting better organised so little rugby league-style kicks and cross-fields and grubbers are becoming quite effective, but there is a difference. In rugby union if you kick it away and it doesn't pay off you generally lose the ball, whereas in rugby league they'll kick it back and you get another chance. You can't use them all the time but they can be effective. Q. Do you find it hard coming on as a substitute or do you prefer the extra space when the game opens up?
(Stuart Keenan, 15, Dubai) A. I don't prefer coming on as a substitute - it's not ideal. It's probably quite an important role. Because of the way coach Frank Hadden uses the subs the scrum-halves do tend to get a bit of game time. I would certainly rather start the game and come off after 60 minutes. Q. In the Six Nations game against Italy, and again against South Africa, the side had a "mad six minutes" when we leaked three tries which cost us the game. What is being done to ensure that we don't have another mad six minutes during the World Cup?
(Bob McDowall, 47, Bromley) A. I'm pretty confident that won't happen again. The way we tried to start the game was by being expansive and it didn't pay off, but equally, with a bit more luck and better execution it could have worked out a lot better. It wasn't the most conservative way to start a game. The first 20 minutes are generally tighter affairs with a bit of kicking, trying to get yourself into the game. That's the way most teams start and in must-win games you would probably stick to this more traditional gameplan and that could be what we'll try to do. Q. Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks and nobody expects the team to win the World Cup. Do you expect to do either and, if so, how can a squad keep believing in the face of the prevailing view.
(Dave P, 41, Edinburgh) A. It's probably important to understand that the squad is in its own little bubble and we don't necessarily read or take in everything that is said in the media. That's fine for people to have their own opinion and speculate on the outcome of games. We're involved in games so we have our own plan and our own agenda, so it doesn't really matter too much if people have written us off because we're not going to believe it. Q. Do you think Scotland will go hell for leather against New Zealand or try and do damage limitation?
(Mark Hemmings, 45, Yeovil) A. I think going out with the intention of damage limitation would be suicide against New Zealand. There's no way you could defend against a side like them for 80 minutes. We have to attack them, keep the ball and reduce the number of turnovers because we've seen how deadly they are on turnover balls. Damage limitation's not an option, we have to try and put them under pressure. Q. Chris, my team-mates and I are amazed at the fantastic condition the players are in after your pre season. What kind of and how many gym sessions did you and the players have to do to get these amazing gains in size and power?
(Sam Ness, 21, Perth) That's classified information! Basically we did a lot with a five-week period over the summer of nothing but weights and fitness. I can't remember the exact combinations but (conditioning coach) Mark Bitcom had the masterplan and it seemed to work quite well! Q. I am a scrum-half like yourself (at least as in I am a scrum-half). I have decided that in this modern era it is not that important for the scrum-half to always be at the breakdown - rather we should perhaps be adopting left and right scrum-halves in open play. Discuss?
(Danger Malky, "30+", Edinburgh) A. Without it being called left and right scrum-halves, I think that kind of thing goes on - it's a good way of speeding up the ball and obviously if there's a guy already there he can get the ball away a lot quicker than a scrum-half running 50 yards to do it. Chris will be answering some of your questions during the World Cup. If you would like to ask him a question, fill in the form at the top right of this page (website users only; not available on mobiles).
Source: BBC Sport
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