
Originally Posted by
crossref
19.10 When both sides are square, stable and stationary, the referee calls “crouch”.
a The front-rows then adopt a crouched position if they have not already done so. Their heads and shoulders are no lower than their hips, a position that is maintained for the duration of the scrum.
b The front-rows crouch with their heads to the left of their immediate opponents’, so that no player’s head is touching the neck or shoulders of an opponent.
the red bit is the amendment.
Q: is the apostrophe in the right place? shouldn't it be opponent's ?
Fowler, Fourth Edition 2015
The apostrophe before
s became regulated as an indicator of the singular possessive case towards the end of the 17c., and the apostrophe after
s was first recorded as an indicator of the plural possessive case towards the end of the 18c. Since then gross disturbances of these basic patterns have occurred in written and printed work, as will be evident from what follows. Such instability suggests that further disturbances may be expected in the 21c.
It is therefore hardly surprising that Fowler does not give a definitive answer in the current situation.
One approach is to re-write using 'of'': "[...]to the left of the head(s) of their immediate opponent(s)." I think either singular or plural format would be acceptable, which suggests the apotrophe could come either before or after the
s.
Elsewhere under 'none', Fowler says usage tends to follow the meaning, so that if the sense is plural, the grammar can be plural.
I don't think we can get a definitive answer here.