Dark art of the scrum a life-long obsession

By WYNNE GRAY

His equipment is simple - a camcorder, some harnesses and notebooks - but his business is quite complicated.

This is Mike Cron, detective-turned-scrum guru, a New Zealand Rugby Union resource coach, at work.

All but three of his 23 years in the police were as a detective in Christchurch, where he also coached as a hobby. But when the game went pro in 1996, so did he.

Cron has been involved since with Canterbury and the Crusaders, the Sanyo club in Japan, the All Blacks briefly under Wayne Smith, he was scrum coach for Wales at the last World Cup and is now retained to do weekly sessions with the All Blacks.

Cron compares himself to a golf coach. If he gets frontrowers' initial techniques right so they pack at the right angle, have the correct feet position, grips and head alignment, they have a greater chance of success.

He works with Doug McClymont, a biomechanist who lectures at the Christchurch College of Education and whose knowledge of human movement backs up Cron's practical experience.

Cron, 49, was a prop and captain of the NZ Colts under Jack Gleeson in 1974-75 and, a year later, with Eric Watson and the NZ Juniors.

Bill Bush and John Ashworth barred his way to the Canterbury side before his calves packed up. After an operation he was confined to Christchurch club rugby and Canterbury B.

"I reckon I know 95 per cent more now than I did when I was playing," he said. "I was always rung up by other clubs and asked to help coach, and that is how the whole thing started."

In keeping with his golf analogies, Cron said the difference between playing tighthead and loosehead prop was like playing golf left or right-handed.

"Tighthead is the hardest position on the field, no matter how well the team goes, you always get a hiding. You have to be technically 100 per cent to play there."

Those observations are confirmed by former Wales and British Lions prop Dai Young who is with the All Blacks and Cron for a fortnight sorting out systems for his new life as Cardiff coach.

The best tighthead Cron has seen is Olo Brown - a benchmark for that position - and he admired Richard Loe, Craig Dowd, Dave Hewett and now Kees Meeuws who have propped both sides of the scrum.

"Kees is strong and intelligent enough to make this switch to loosehead work," said Cron. "It is a rarity for players to be able to cope but I thought he was great in the trial.

"Confidence is a huge part of propping because those guys are going into a dark cave with 1600kg going through their spine so they have to be confident."

In Dunedin, Cron has worked one-on-one with the All Blacks and squared both front rows up against each other. He does not like two full packs going at it too much, it usually degenerates into mayhem.

But he has also worked with the back five to improve the impetus they give to their frontrowers.

"For the start of the season, the All Blacks are going okay. Their attitude is tremendous and I loved that pushover try at the trial.

"I am not a dictator in what I do. I ask them to try things and then we will discuss and debate the concepts. It is not different from a golfer changing his feet position or opening his hip or whatever. It is the same for props, teaching them the right systems."