Unsung hero just keeps it simple

When the All Blacks went to the 2003 World Cup they were shifting 1200kg on the scrum machine. Before they played the Lions last night, they were shunting 2000kg.

In two years, the All Black pack has underdone a renaissance every bit as impressive, in rugby terms, as the enlightening of 14th century European culture. There are other similarities. Just as in Europe, the All Black renaissance has emerged from a darker time, one where the forwards were told not to ruck and seemingly not push very hard.

But while Europe had leaders such as Michelangelo, Rafael and the de Medicis, this All Black revival has been inspired by an unlikely figure who prowls training paddocks with an awkward gait and a trademark beanie. Be sure, though, that scrum coach Mike Cron has played a massive part in ridding the All Blacks of their Spice Boy image.

Whatever happens results-wise this season, no one could suggest the All Blacks can't scrum.

Last year they reduced the French, the undisputed scrummaging heavyweights of Europe, to Golden Oldies rules and last week the Lions' much-vaunted scrum didn't look vaunted at all. No doubt, as happened with the lineout after the first test, Sir Clive Woodward will suggest the All Blacks scrummed illegally. If he does, Cron won't be having a bar of it.

"We scrummage differently to the Northern Hemisphere," said Cron. "It is just that you have to be balanced and still before you engage whereas, if you look at rugby overseas, their movement before they engage is quite fluid and mobile. We're more static. We want to use our legs and they want to use their upper body. In the first test the referee was good. He waited until both teams came down to the same height before he said engage. It was a good scrummaging performance from both teams.

"We did live scrummaging in training last week and didn't have one collapsed scrum. That's how technically proficient our guys are." 

Cron, a prop of reasonable ability, coached club sides in Canterbury in the early 1980s and served what he called a 25-year unpaid apprenticeship that took him to the All Blacks under Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert, then to Wales with Steve Hansen and back to New Zealand again.

After almost 25 years of coaching, Cron has become one of the pre-eminent authorities on scrummaging. His knowledge, combined with Henry's change of emphasis, has been the not-very-well-kept secret of their success.

Cron said: "Several years ago the emphasis in New Zealand got lost a wee bit. Mainly kick-offs, scrums and lineouts. We focused more on skills and developing athletes. We did that very well but sometimes to the detriment of our set phase.

"When Graham Henry came in he was very clear that set phase was a key area. For us to play well we needed to be fit and wonderful athletes but also do our set phase work, too.

"What you are looking for is an edge. For my edge, it is understanding body awareness. I use a bio-mechanist, a wrestling coach and I liaise with the strength and conditioning coach.

"We have gone away from hitting scrum machines as a scrum training session. I do a lot of work one-on-one with body awareness drills that helps them scrum. We are all roughly the same weight so we have to learn to push better, to coordinate better.

"I was allocated a lot of time before we went to Europe. From that, the boys are really getting their heads around it. About 62 per cent of the power comes from the back five yet we all think it is the front row. But we must have them all correctly aligning their spines to transfer the power through."

It's all pretty simple stuff. But then again Cron is a simple enough guy. His mission is clear and, according to the players, he makes what could be a relatively complex facet a straightforward business.

Keven Mealamu would be speaking for the entire pack when he said: "Mike has done a lot of work with me technically. It's not all about size. The knowledge he has brought to the All Blacks has been huge. We have him to thank for the way we are scrummaging."

In Cron's eyes, the way this pack are going, they're likely to be every bit as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel. 

- HERALD ON SUNDAY