Boks can’t afford any more scrum slip-ups
It’s a team effort, the pack has to work together and work hard – Mtawarira
IT was a frosty morning at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday. The strong wind – or slight breeze as the locals prefer to call it – made conditions even worse, as it sliced through this majestic stadium. However, on the practice fields behind this 2010 World Cup venue, the temperature got considerably higher during the course of the Springbok forwards’ training session. And it got even hotter when they vented some of their frustration on the poor scrumming machine.
There was a lot of purpose to the Springboks’ scrum session yesterday. It’s not like they usually slack off during scrum sessions, but yesterday they seemed to train with a lot more focus and aggression, because shortcomings in this department in the first two Tests against Ireland proved damaging.
Like the maul, the scrum is part of the Springboks’ DNA. South African front-row forwards normally lick their lips in anticipation when the referee puts his hands together to signal a scrum. But over the last two weeks the Boks have struggled in this area against Ireland, and have conceded several scrum penalties.
It’s big problem, because the scrum is an area where the Boks love to get momentum and to get their phases going. But they haven’t really had a stable platform to work from so far.
Tighthead Frans Malherbe is a very good operator in the scrum, but he hasn’t been at his best so far in this series. The same goes for the rest of the front row, which includes veterans Tendai Mtawarira and Adriaan Strauss.
Mtawarira believes they can still come to the party in Saturday’s third and final Test.
“Ireland are a formidable side up front, but I think as a team we have been improving. We could have done better on their ball, but it’s a work in progress and something that we are working on every week,” the loosehead prop said yesterday.
The Irish have done well on their own ball, surprising the Boks with a second and even third shove during the match at Ellis Park.
Springbok assistant coach Matt Proudfoot always talks about making good decisions at scrum time, about when to attack and when to hold back. Ireland have certainly been very smart in this regard, as they have chosen their battles well.
The Boks will really have to up their game in the scrums.
“I think we went to sleep quite a bit and the second shove caught us out. We thought the ball was out and it wasn’t. They kept on scrumming,” Mtawarira said.
“It’s just a whole team effort, the pack has to work together and work hard before the ball gets out. There was a little bit of miscommunication, but it’s something that can be sorted out.”
Yesterday the Boks lost one of their main impact players at scrum time, Trevor Nyakane – he was ruled out of Saturday’s decider with an ankle injury.
Nyakane joins No 8 Duane Vermeulen (elbow) and Lood de Jager (calf ) on the injury list. All three players left the camp yesterday and will not be considered for selection.
Lions No 8 Warren Whiteley, who is ALSO INSIDE: Crunch time in Euros, P26 All Blacks next – Eddie, P27 Bafana’s Cosafa semi, P27 struggling with a shoulder niggle, again didn’t take contact yesterday, but is expected to be ready for the match.
But one man who is ready to run out on Saturday is Steven Kithshoff, who is likely to be on the bench for the Boks as a result of Nyakane’s injury.
The France-based loosehead has had to bide his time over the last few weeks to win his first cap. But the way he has been climbing in during the practice sessions suggests that he can’t wait to get onto the field.
“Steven has been around for a while... he is an experienced loosehead now and I think going overseas has enabled him to learn a few tricks. We’re feeding off each other and I’m really excited to see him make his debut, I’m sure he’ll bring a lot of energy and be a real force on Saturday,” Mtawarira said.
“He knows our systems very well and it’s not just been about him learning from me, but I’m also learning from him – he’s got a lot to offer.”
T20 International, Zimbabwe v India, 12.45pm, SS2 Football: Cosafa Cup, semi-final, South Africa v Swaziland, 5.45pm, SS9 Uefa Euro 2016, Hungary v Portugal, 5pm, SS3/MaXimo/MaXimo3; Iceland v Austria, 5pm, SS4; Sweden v Belgium, 8.30pm, SS3/MaXimo/MaXimo3; Italy v Republic of Ireland, 8.30pm, SS4