Scrummaging Preparation with Greg Smith
Greg delivers an expert scrum preparation session at club training with a group of players at Fraser Tech, Hamilton (NZ).
A familiar scenario for teams at all levels — players arriving from work or school, with limited time and numbers.>/p>
Working within these constraints, and without scrum equipment, Greg calling on many years of high level scrum coaching experience, focuses on preparing players to be contact-ready, technically sound, and confident.
Part 1. Scrummaging Warm Up
Bear crawl, Gecko walk and turning heads
In this first video, Greg introduces key warm-up movements to prepare players for scrum contact.
The session focuses on building effective body position, movement patterns and contact readiness for the scrum and breakdown, applicable across all levels.
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Part 2. Building your Scrum from the Ground Up
Build from the ground to a connected lift in a ‘push’ position.
For Greg as he demonstrates in this session – it is a three step process and it’s set up to strong, our push phase, and then our delivery.
A scrum that’s putting force through both its props. It’s a good shape.
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Part 3. Scrummaging Sequence – Process based
Bind and Brace = Balance
In the final video of his Scrum Setup series, Greg identifies the role of each player in helping the scrum get “off the ground” and establish a strong, stable, and balanced platform – driven largely by player understanding and connection.
A key feature throughout the session is Greg’s questioning approach, challenging players to think, communicate, and better understand the scrummaging process rather than simply following instruction.
Another practical insight into building an effective scrum from one of the game’s leading scrum coaches.
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Greg Smith
Greg Smith is a former Waikato and Chiefs hooker turned international coach who has led the Black Ferns and Manu Samoa. Known for his expertise in forward play and contact skills, he has also worked within New Zealand Rugby’s high-performance programmes.| Course | Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 13:00 |
| Topics | Set Piece Conditioning |
| Applicable to | Coaches Players |
| Languages | English |
| Click on CC button at top left of video for other translation options. | |
Course reviews
Tank Lanning — South AfricaI like the focus on shape, then making it work as a unit by focusing on direction and getting the power through the props … Lekker drill
JARED NORDSTROM — New ZealandSmithy is clear, and everything points toward a better scrum. Enjoyed the process-based approach and the way he questioned for understanding.
Chris Collins — AustraliaBrilliant, clear instructions allows anyone to run a session. Especially the initial set shows the players what a good scrum shape looks like. Doing this without a machine or opposition is great. Impressed!