Scrum expert Balie Swart believes the new scrum laws will give the big Bok pack an edge on their European tour.
By Michael de
Vries
The
scrum is a key area in which to establish dominance on the heavy fields up
north, and is an area on which European teams place a heavy emphasis, but Swart
is confident that the Boks will be able to hold their own.
Heyneke
Meyer's team have had the benefit of playing under the new scrum laws in the
Rugby Championship and the Currie Cup, which may give them an advantage over
Wales, Scotland and France as their hosts look to adjust quickly.
Swart
believes that the size and power of the Springbok pack will translate into
dominance at scrum-time, thanks to the influence of the new laws.
He
told this website in an interview: "It is important to understand that the
team with the stronger scrum is going to dominate with the new laws.
"The
power of the pack lies in proper binding, carrying your own bodyweight and
making sure that you have got pressure in your legs and you dont get yourself
extended before the ball comes in because then you will get pushed
around," he said.
The
Bok scrum has been impressive this year, and with few changes expected to be
made to the starting pack on this tour they will be keen to continue that form.
One
change that has been forced on Meyer is at tighthead prop after stalwart Jannie
du Plessis was ruled out through injury.
It seems
that Coenie Oosthuizen will get a chance to show that he is up to Test
tighthead standard, but Swart has not been convinced by his transition thus far
and would prefer to see him on the loosehead side.
"In
my opinion Coenie is a fantastic player and everything, but in my opinion he is
a very good loosehead. Any player would like to play for the Springboks and
even if you tell Coenie, 'mate go play lock' he will do it.
"You
cannot make a mistake five minutes from the end when you have got to get your ball,
you can't mess around with guys who are not really in their position," he
said.
Swart
explained that as long as they adapt to the interpretations of the referees
there is no reason for the Boks to battle when they pack down.
"I
am not sure how the European referees are going to ref it. We have got to
understand what the law requires and we need to play within those laws.
"If
we do that and you look at the manpower we have got, you will dominate other
teams.
"We
have got a huge pack of forwards, that is massive to be honest, and all we need
to do is keep things straight in the front so we can get the pressure through
from the back five.
"Once
we get that we will dominate any pack, but if we don't get that stability in
the front and keep straight at the front at the right height and in the right
direction that all 16 feet can work together we won't dominate," he added.
Although
much is made of the heavier fields in Europe, Swart does not expect the playing
surfaces in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Paris to pose much of a problem.
"These
fields these days play a huge role. They are probably going to close the roof
at the Millenium Stadium, so it will be a good surface to scrum on, in Paris
they have got good pitches and in Scotland as well.
"Scrumming
is still the area where there is proper combat, and you cannot run away.
Scrumming is about 16 feet moving together in the same direction and people
staying straight in the front and not sabotaging their own pushing power by
going in on angles.
"I
firmly believe that we will do well, if we stay within law and we have a
referee that blows to the law and makes sure that people don't go and do their
own wishlist when they play against us, and be strict enough to blow what the
law requires, we will do well," he said.
