Powerful scrum is also a happy one

Rudolph Jacobs

Call him part of the happy Lions prop club, but Dylan Smith (right) is not shy at all to give some insights on what exactly makes the team the powerful scrum unit they are.

After two serious shoulder injuries robbed him of much of the past two seasons and the starting berth he used to own, Smith is happy to be back-up for now to Jacques van Rooyen.

“I think the Lions scrum is forever evolving. We do our best as individuals and as a unit to better ourselves, so we just work hard every day,” said Smith.

“We don’t look to scrum as individuals but as a unit and what’s in front of us, so it’s a lot about the technique and applying it on the other side.”

Tipped as a potential Springbok in 2016, Smith has had to work hard to get back to his earlier form.

“Happy to be back and injury-free. Last year was tough, two injuries consecutively, so it was a difficult time, but it’s great to be back,” he said.

Smith also chatted about the special bond between himself and Lions team-mates, hooker Malcolm Marx and flank Cyle Brink, all former KES schoolmates.

“We’ve been mates since about 2008 when we first met, so it makes it about 10 years,” said Smith.

“So we have played together in the Under-14s, Under-15s, Under-16s all the way through to now, so it’s quite rare that we have been given that opportunity – and we all live within a 5km radius from one another, so that’s cool.”

Facing the Blues today at Ellis Park, Smith stressed that they “have huge respect for the Blues”.

“They have got a few big names who have performed for many years, they also have some great youngsters coming through,” he said.

“But with us focusing on ourselves, that’s our main idea at the moment and to take our chances as they come.

“We can’t underestimate them ... not that we will ever take a quality side like that lightly,” he concluded.