Front row safety measures: John O'Sullivanon the IRB's dilemma of how to balance front row safety with competitive scrums.

The nefarious ways once adopted by prop forwards, a cabal of like- minded souls who revelled in the mystique that surrounded frontrow play in rugby union, are a receding tradition. Frontrow play is embracing a new direction.

The International Board (IRB) are determined to manage and regularise an area where serious injury has been an occasional bedfellow. Those props of an older vintage would decry the modern laws that have attempted to sanitise these collisions in the interests of safety.

In generations past, rules were guidelines begging to be bent and broken: that in itself, was an unwritten rule.

The IRB have amended the scrum law (20.1 h) once again and this will take effect from January 1st. It now states: "The referee will call 'crouch' then 'touch'. The frontrows crouch and using their outside arm, each prop touches the point of the opposing prop's shoulder. The props then withdraw their arms.

"The referee will then call 'pause'. Following a pause, the referee will then call 'engage'. The frontrows may then engage. The engage call is not a command but an indication that the frontrows may come together when ready."

Purists may view it as another attempt to further de-power the scrum but the IRB have taken medical advice on the issue. A recent report in the British Medical Journal said players should only engage in uncontested scrums.

James Bourke, consultant general surgeon at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, has called for the ban after seeing young players paralysed during his 30-year stint as honorary medical officer to Nottingham Rugby Football Club.

"Earlier in my career I would have supported contested scrums but I had to change my mind - I have seen seven serious spinal cord injuries, six of which were related to the scrum and two ended up in a wheelchair."

Yet there is no unanimity, even among medical practitioners. The findings from a study commissioned by the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) that examined injuries sustained by Wallaby internationals over 73 Test matches, 13 non-Test matches and five A games between 1994 and 2000, make for interesting reading.

It revealed that: "Most injuries occurred in the tackle phase (58.7 per cent), either tackling or being tackled. Open play accounted for 19.6 per cent of injuries, closely followed by ruck and maul (14.7 per cent). Open play occurs when a ball is not longer in a set-piece, in a ruck or maul, or in a tackle. The set-pieces, scrums and lineouts, accounted for very few injuries (2.1 per cent)."

The study pointed out that "most of the severe injuries occurred during the tackle phase (66 per cent) with a further 19 per cent evident in open play".

Since 1994 the IRB have issued strict guidelines for the scrum at all levels up to and including under-19, whereby the maximum a team can nudge forward is 1.5 metres. At schools level there is no heavy engagement as the packs come together before the scrum becomes a contest and there is no deliberately wheeling of a scrum as the team putting the ball in would retain the put-in.

These measures are understandable but the irony is it is completely inadequate preparation for adult rugby. At schools level, because of the de-powered scrum, coaches favour putting athletic, mobile backrow forwards in the front row because the scrum will never be pivotal.

On leaving the schools grade many of these makeshift props either retire from the game or return to their former lives in the backrow. Even for those "genuine" props, a rude awakening ensues. Fledgling steps in the club game expose them to gnarly veterans and also to the culture shock of two packs slamming into each other at full force.

Rather than slavish addiction to physical preparation and bulking up, the IRFU, through the schools, would be better served spending resources on teaching the technical aspects of prop play so the young players master a trade that will better prepare them for the adult game.

Ulster Academy manager and former Ireland secondrow Gary Longwell is well versed with the pitfalls facing young props. While he stipulates his charges start for their respective clubs, the same does not apply to the props in the academy.

Their introduction is at the discretion of the club and is strictly monitored. "There is a real issue here in terms of exposing these young guys coming from a controlled environment into an adult setting. We look to manage it carefully so it's a gradual education."

The parlous nature of resources at prop in Ireland is a familiar refrain in recent times, an argument substantiated by the desire to recruit overseas.

All four Irish provinces have adopted this policy at one time, Ulster very successfully bringing in Springbok Robbie Kempson and Wallaby Rod Moore.

Connacht have Stephen Knoop, Brett Wilkinson and Brett Sturgess on their books, Leinster boast Will Green, Fosi Pala'amo, Harry Vermaas and Stanley Wright, while Munster employ Freddie Pucciariello.

The IRFU, through the four provinces and more appositely the regional academies, are conscious of the need to develop young props. An intangible is the type of game into which they'll be introduced. Currently it's taking about five to six years for a young prop in Ireland to graduate to senior representative level. Many do not make it.

Rugby has always been a game for all shapes and sizes but the new regulations that will come into force in the new year suggest the scrum is heading towards it's rugby league sibling; an uncontested means of restarting a match.

Safety should always be a primary concern but the problem facing the IRB these days is the discrepancy between what props experience in scrums at underage representative level and the demands imposed on them when entering the adult grade.

De-powering the ferocious collision of the engagement won't necessarily emasculate the contest provided referees are instructed to scrupulously manage the coming together and then allow the contest to begin. Good props are a rare commodity at any level in the modern game: they should not be allowed to become an endangered species.

Ireland's likely lads

Darragh Hurley(Munster): makes his first European Cup start for his province against Cardiff today. Former Ireland Schools and Ireland Under-21 international.

Dave Ryan(Munster): Converted number eight who has played Ireland Youths and Ireland Under-19s.

Tim Ryan(Munster): The 20-year-old Highfield player is a member of the Munster academy.

Gary Walsh(Munster): A former Blackrock schoolboy, the 20-year-old plays with UL Bohemian and is a member of the academy.

Neil Simpson(Ulster): a 19-year-old member of the extended Ireland Under-20 training squad.

Michael Ferguson(Ulster): a member of the extended Ireland Under-20 training squad.

Niall Conlon(Ulster): Development contract with Ulster.

John Andress(Ulster): Development contract with Ulster and a former Ireland Under-21 international.

Paul Doran-Jones(Leinster): Leinster academy and former Ireland Under-21 international.

Cian Healy(Leinster): former Ireland Schools international.

Royce Burke-Flynn(Leinster): former Ireland Schools international.

Jamie Hagan(Leinster): Irish Youths International.

Rory Murphy(Leinster): Ireland Under-19 international.

Ray Hogan(Connacht): Ireland A international.

Ronan Loughney(Connacht): Ireland Youths, Ireland Under-19, Ireland Under-21

Michael Diffley(Connacht): Ireland Under-21 international.