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Wallabies scrum too mechanical
Wednesday, January 17, 2007, c/o Rugby Heaven
A sports scientist who has worked with the All Blacks says the Wallabies forwards are concentrating too much on using scrum machines in practice.
The Wallabies are relying on using scrum machines for 80 per cent of practice, while the All Blacks use them only 20 percent of the time, says Dr Mark Sayers.
The Sunshine Coast University senior lecturer told a local paper too much time on the scrum machine could lead to bad technique, especially when the machine did not push back against the forward pack.
A former sports biomechanist with the All Blacks, he offered the free advice on the eve of presenting scientific papers on the biomechanics of scrum machines to the sixth World Congress on Science and Football, in Turkey later this week.
He will speak on the All Blacks' approach to "running rugby" and on the biomechanics of scrummaging.
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"It's really looking at how the world's best players do things, and how do you teach that to other players," said Dr Sayers, who has worked for three national teams - the All Blacks, the Wallabies and Italy's 2003 world cup side.
He was a member of the ACT Brumbies coaching staff from 1999-2003.
He has been the All Blacks biomechanist twice, most recently since 2004 and will be on the management team at the 2007 World Cup in France next September.
NZPA