Boks are having a monster’s ball
SA now have a hefty quintet of tightheads
A YEAR ago Springbok selectors were frantic about the tighthead reservoirs in the country, but now they are two a penny.
Or in the words of scrum consultant and 1995 World Cup-winner Balie Swart: “We’ve got monsters.”
What was a torturous position is now filled with a hefty quintet of tightheads: Julian Redelinghuys, Marcel van der Merwe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch.
Each are 26 or younger and are capped at least twice for the Boks. And it’s a pity the Bok coach’s chair revolves unoccupied in Cape Town.
“I've studied these guys quite closely — them and their international contemporaries from New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Japan — and I’ve seen all their games, so I know them quite well,” said Swart.
“If we can select a really good pack that’s got synergy we will dominate teams. I always say pick a tighthead that can stay straight because 75% of your power comes from the back five.
“I was impressed with Coenie last week against the Stormers. He went through a tough neck operation and he can never play loosehead anymore because he will never survive the pressure on his neck.
“He has made the transition and that is where he wants to settle. And we all know what happens when Coenie puts his head down and works hard. He’s a classy player.”
Oosthuizen's move to the Sharks and switch from loosehead to No 3 seems to be paying dividends. And his injury nightmare seems to be over.
But he’s not the only one who has impressed Swart.
Redelinghuys, who has been smartly rotated by Lions coach Johan Ackermann, is at the precipice of a dominant period in his career, according to Swart.
“This is Julian’s year to start dominating,” said Swart. "He is a very intelligent player. He is a shrewd customer, a good learner and attentive listener.”
Swart doesn’t want to be put in the unenviable position of picking the front row that's making the biggest waves to start against Ireland in the incoming tour in June. But he’s convinced there’s a cage fight between players who want to be there.
At the Bulls, he rates Van der Merwe as one of the strongest scrummagers available, although the slight caveat is that he also reckons Trevor Nyakane could do a job at No 3.
“Marcel is a big and strong man,” said Swart. “Once he’s in there, he is difficult to move. “It's not my decision, but I reckon, especially with the new scrum rules, Trevor can do a very good job at tighthead. He’s uncomfortable to face.”
In the first two rounds, it was the Stormers front row that all but consigned expat Jannie du Plessis to memory.
But they looked fragile once Robbie Fleck switched things around by starting Malherbe and JC Janse van Rensburg ahead of Koch and Oli Kebble against Beast Mtawarira and Oosthuizen.
“Koch is a ‘ toughie’ and a good player. He’s not a spectacular individual; he’s just a no-nonsense guy.
“Frans has just come back from an injury, but he’s a Bok. Once he gets a couple more games under his belt, he will be okay.
“But the funny thing is that two South African teams will hammer the hell out of one another like they are at miniSpringbok trials. If I had one wish, it would be for us to kill overseas teams like we do each other,” said Swart.
If we can select a really good pack we will dominate teams