Proudfoot: He’s still a Bok Beast
FORWARDS COACH: TO SAY HE’S FINISHED IS LAUGHABLE
Concussion rules rising star Cronje out of final Test.
Springbok forwards coach Matt Proudfoot yesterday rubbished suggestions that prop Beast Mtawarira’s best days in the national team are behind him.
But ahead of the third Test against France at Ellis Park on Saturday, of even more immediate interest, in a major setback yesterday, scrumhalf Ross Cronje was ruled out with concussion, while centres Lionel Mapoe and Francois Venter were released from the Bok squad to join the SA A side.
This could lead to a recall for No 9 Francois Hougaard and centre Jesse Kriel after he missed the second Test with concussion.
Questions have been raised about Mtawarira’s form, but Proudfoot said the experience Mtawarira brings to the side is invaluable.
“To say a guy with 89 caps is past his best is crazy, Coenie (Oosthuizen) is probably our next most experienced frontrower,” said Proudfoot.
“These guys have so much knowledge, they’ve been there and done that.
“The guys are getting better technically. If you look at the engagement sequence, the body height and the body shape, you can’t be dominant if you’re not accurate.”
Ahead of the Ellis Park showdown, Proudfoot said the Boks’ performances at scrum-time have been excellent.
Apart from starting props Mtawarira and Frans Malherbe, with Oosthuizen and Steven Kitshoff coming off the bench, there’s also Ruan Dreyer and Lizo Gqoboka.
“The six props we have been working with as well as Thomas du Toit, Ox Nche and Wilco Louw, these guys have been contributing right the way through,” said Proudfoot.
“The way Coenie and Ruan Dreyer were talking about bind positions in the first week stems from an appetite as a collective to be successful.”
Proudfoot said the rise of Kitshoff has been a great one to have witnessed.
“Steven and Coenie have blossomed into very similar players, very robust, great defenders, great attackers. If I look at the work in the scrums they have been excellent.
“It’s like two pocket battleships going out there, I respect their ability and I wouldn’t want to play against them.”
Proudfoot said the French were always going to be a good challenge.They had arguably one of the best scrums in the Six Nations this year and they knew it would be a really tough challenge.
“I think the good thing is that all the forwards have been with the Springboks before,” he said.
“Even the youngest one (flank) Jean-Luc du Preez was with us during the November tour, so we had continuity and detail from last year,” he said.