Scrum’s dark arts studied

HIGHLANDERS prop Josh Hohneck never gets tired of talking about scrums.

The veteran bookend relishes every opportunity he gets in the twilight of his career to put his head into the dark places and analyse where advantages can be gained.

He is part of a Highlanders front row that can match any in Super Rugby Pacific, and while the general belief in the past has been that Australian teams can be vulnerable in the scrum, he is wary of the threat that may be posed by the Reds on Friday night.

‘‘They’ve got a pretty powerful set piece, which is a big part of their game,’’ Hohneck said.

‘‘Kiwi teams scrum maybe a little bit differently, so there’s always going to be a teething period there, and it will be interesting to see how that works out over the next couple of weeks.’’

The Reds have been weakened with the news this week that Taniela Tupou is likely out for the season with a calf injury.

Their scrum was under the pump last week against the Chiefs, who the Reds claimed were resorting to nefarious tactics to spend longer than necessary in crouch mode.

Hohneck said it was important to be prepared for anything up front.

‘‘I think scrums change within games as well. You can go in with a plan, and it doesn’t always work out.

‘‘At the weekend, we scrummed for long periods. Two big packs, and the crowd got into it, and we were pretty happy with how our scrum went.

‘‘The Reds will probably try to be a little disruptive early in the scrum, so we will need to weather that storm.’’

Hohneck gained extra appreciation for the art of scrummaging when he played 101 games for English club Gloucester in between his stints at the Highlanders.

The Northern Hemisphere’s attitude towards the set piece was, as expected, reverential bordering on excessive.

‘‘Obviously, the scrum has historically been a big part of their game, and they approach it with the respect it deserves,’’ Hohneck said.

‘‘At times, it’s probably to their detriment that they focus on that too much, but it’s just about getting the balance right.

‘‘They do a lot of mauling and scrummaging at training, and bang each other up, so it’s good to come back here and get a bit more balance.’’

Hohneck turned 36 in January.

He would love to be a regular starter — he said his body was holding up to the demands of elite rugby just fine — but has had to be content with runs off the bench in recent times.

As one of the team’s senior statesmen, he plays a key role in mentoring younger members of the squad, and is taking a particular interest in the development of giant young prop Saula Ma’u.

‘‘I enjoy that part of it. It’s a balance, because I’ve got to compete with him as well.

‘‘I want Saula to get better, but I’ve also got to challenge him every week, and I’m still playing for a jersey.

‘‘Saula has come a long way, especially this season. He’s going really well. He’s a big human and he can do some damage on the rugby field.’’

Hohneck has resigned to play for Otago in the NPC, after which he will weigh up his rugby future.

‘‘As long as I’m still enjoying it, I’ll keep going.’’

The Fijian Drua will get another home game this season.

They will host the Chiefs in Lautoka on May 27.

The match was originally scheduled for Robina, but the success of the Drua’s home game against the Highlanders has encouraged competition organisers to take another game to Fiji.