Power will be on from first scrum – Richard Hibbard

Hooker Richard Hibbard says the Lions need to take referees out of the equation by dominating from the first scrum to the last against Australia.
Just as it did in the Six Nations decider between Wales and England, the interpretation of the scrum looks likely to set the agenda in the build-up to the first Test on June 22.
The appointment of two Southern Hemisphere referees – Chris Pollock and Craig Joubert – is already seen as an advantage for Australia.
But Hibbard, who was an integral part of the Welsh front-row that dominated England, told The Rugby Paper that Warren Gatland will be seeking to make a statement from the off.
He said: “The refereeing is going to be a big factor in the series, but if you are positive in the scrum then you get the rewards. If you retreat then you won’t be getting any rewards.
“You see that we have a big powerful team and I think we need to play to our strengths, one of which is the scrum.
“Warren has always wanted to use the scrum as a weapon and I am sure that is the mentality he will take to the Lions.
“You want to dominate from the very first scrum and put a marker down that that is the way it is going to be for the rest of the series.
“You don’t want to be relying on marginal calls when the scrum goes down, we need it going forward all the time.”
While a 29-year-old does not fit the traditional definition of a “bolter”, Hibbard has come a long way in a short space of time to become favourite to fill the No.2 shirt.
Despite making his Wales debut in 2006, Hibbard was never able to nail down his place for more than a couple of games; indeed his first Six Nations start came away to France only this year.
That has mainly been because of a series of injuries, the most heartbreaking of which came in Wales’ final warm-up game before the 2011 World Cup, ruling him out of the tournament.
So when Hibbard hurt his knee in the Ospreys‘ defeat against Glasgow in the penultimate match of the season, a familiar knot formed in the pit of his stomach.
“When I did my knee I thought that was it for my chances,” Hibbard said. “I thought it was my injury curse all over again.
“I thought back to the last warm-up game before the World Cup and the curse had followed me.
“The guys at the Ospreys said ‘give it the weekend’ and see how it reacts’. I really didn’t think that it was going to be good news, but it was not as bad as we all thought, which was a huge relief.
“Last year was my first chance to do a real pre-season, before that I was always injured or recovering from injury. I hit the ground running with the Ospreys and everything fell into place.
“Then I finally got my chance to show what I can do in the Six Nations, but I still never really thought that I had a shot at the Lions.”
That pessimism has become part of Hibbard’s nature. Not only has he had to contend with injuries, but questions over his fitness by his then Ospreys coach Scott Johnson and the knowledge that his actions in giving away a penalty cost Wales a first victory in Australia in more than 40 years last summer.
Hibbard played just 14 minutes of the second Test but made an unwanted contribution by giving away two critical penalties, the second of which allowed Mike Harris to give Australia a 25-23 victory with the last kick of the match.
Bad as those times were, Hibbard says they were necessary to spur him on.
He said: “Scott saying those things was the most trying time of my career. He was one of my coaches and my mates so for him to come out and say that with no warning really hurt me.
“But then he was trying to use it as wake-up call and it worked in the long run.
“The penalty was another valuable life lesson. It was not the fact that I gave away the penalty, but that I let down my team-mates.
“It was devastating. But it all happens for a reason and it has made me stronger.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD