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The differences between 4 & 5 - Second row

Jaguares

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What do u think?

 
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I see it as this:

5 - tighthead lock, as he packs down behind the tighthead prop in the scrum. The tighthead prop is under more pressure in the scrum, thus in order to help the tighthead prop, the tighthead lock is usually the stronger scrummager of the two locks. This usually translates into him being the heavier of the two.

4 - loosehead lock, picked more for his lineout abilities, with less emphasis on scrummaging. Likely to be the more mobile, thus will have slightly different roles in attack and defence.

That's the way I see it anyway.
 
I see it as this:

5 - tighthead lock, as he packs down behind the tighthead prop in the scrum. The tighthead prop is under more pressure in the scrum, thus in order to help the tighthead prop, the tighthead lock is usually the stronger scrummager of the two locks. This usually translates into him being the heavier of the two.

4 - loosehead lock, picked more for his lineout abilities, with less emphasis on scrummaging. Likely to be the more mobile, thus will have slightly different roles in attack and defence.

That's the way I see it anyway.

I always thought it was the opposite. SA with the classic 4 Bakkies Botha/5 Victor Matfield pairing.

NZL 4 Brodie Rettalick/5 Sam Whitelock
AUS 4 David Giffin/5 John Eales

And obviously some guys like Paul O'Connell can pack down on either side.
 
In NZ it is typically the scrummaging locks tend to play 4. Chris Jack, Brad Thorn, Brodie Retallick. With that said all of them often call the line-outs, ever the comparatively short Brad Thorn. I think that while that better scrummager tends to play at 4 - I'm not convinced New Zealand has ever really bought into having a heavier / athletic lock. I think the expectation is players have to be strong enough and mobile enough to make the starting XV.
 
Yeah, I'd say you have the numbers the wrong way down dull.
 
I did think that, so I looked up some images of how the locks are organised in a scrum, and they tended to show the 5 packing down behind the tighthead lock.

Switch the numbers and it's hopefully right.

I don't necessarily think that all sides follow the same formula, but it's the only thing that's really different about them, other than tactics employed by the coach.
 
I see it as this:

5 - tighthead lock, as he packs down behind the tighthead prop in the scrum. The tighthead prop is under more pressure in the scrum, thus in order to help the tighthead prop, the tighthead lock is usually the stronger scrummager of the two locks. This usually translates into him being the heavier of the two.

4 - loosehead lock, picked more for his lineout abilities, with less emphasis on scrummaging. Likely to be the more mobile, thus will have slightly different roles in attack and defence.

That's the way I see it anyway.
See, similar reasoning could justify playing them at 4. You can support your tighthead at 5, or add pressure on the loosehead side from 4. Perhaps it's more of a reason to play at 4. Complete novice at scrummaging, but I always took the tighthead to "lock" the scrum and the loosehead to disrupt. In which case, perhaps having that extra pressure at 4 helps. Come to think of it, that might be why Charteris and AWJ switched sides. Back when you had the best tighthead in the world, you might as well throw the scrummaging lock (AWJ) behind Gethin. But since Jones stopped being picked, AWJ has been needed more at 5 to help the younger tightheads.

If this is the case, I can see the case for switching your locks around in-game. In the ascendancy, adopt an offensive position, backing up the prop causing the damage. When being beaten, support the prop taking the battering. You don't see locks switch around though, perhaps there's a sense of familiarity that comes with playing on a particular side?
 
Well, I guess now in the future we'll have Eben at no 4 and Lood at no 5, with Lood being the heavier one of the two.
 

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