Lion Ryan is backing new scrum rules

RYAN Grant has returned from his first British and Irish Lions tour with insight, new confidence and ideas to bring to his and Glasgow’s game – but the prop tonight faces a new challenge in Belfast.

The 27-year-old was one of the standout performers in the RaboDirect PRO12 and a key member of the Scotland front row last season. There was much criticism of his omission from the initial Lions squad before he was finally called up as a replacement.

The game has now changed for front rows, with the ball being put into scrums straight and hookers actually having to hook again. Some teams are still trying to steamroller the opposition on the put-in, while sides not in possession are seeking to take advantage of the hooker’s foot position to drive and force turnovers. Grant agrees that the scrum is now a different kind of contest and, for him, an improved one.

“The hit has been taken out of it, which takes a bit of the uncertainty away, but judging from the way the boys played on Friday in very wet conditions, the scrum did well,” he said.

“It stayed up a lot, was a lot more stable and we got a lot of good ball from it.

“On any other night, in those conditions, you would have expected scrums to go down so I am going to stay positive for now and see how it goes in the game.

“Strength may play a part in it now. Speed and technique have. Once you are in there, it is very much the same kind of principles that apply.”