As the clock ticks closer to the Rugby Championship, former All Blacks scrum sage Mike Cron is practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a fiery showdown between New Zealand and South Africa. With both teams coming off an undefeated July, the stakes are sky-high as they prepare for their epic face-off in September.
The All Blacks, fresh from dominating a not-so-stellar French team, and the Boks, who played chess on the rugby field with Italy and Georgia, are gearing up for what could be the most explosive matches of the year. Cron, known widely as the "scrum doctor" due to his 15-year tenure molding the All Blacks' scrum, is all but setting off fireworks in excitement for the upcoming bouts at Eden Park and in Wellington.
"That’s the ultimate, isn’t it? You still think back to the World Cup final, you know, and you see some bloody things going on at the moment that are maybe not quite in the spirit of the game, you think it would be nice if the ABs get up and just give it to them,"
Cron confided to DSPN’s Martin Devlin. Despite New Zealand's less-than-perfect performance against the French backups, Cron believes the team will shape up just in time to deliver a masterclass against the Springboks. "It’s a difficult period for them," he acknowledges, empathizing with the delicate balance head coach Scott Robertson and his selectors must maintain between immediate game strategy and long-term World Cup preparations.
The former scrum master is confident that the trio of tests against France has served as the perfect primer for the All Blacks. "It takes the boys a few Test matches to get up to international speed. The ABs will be a hell of a lot better heading into the Rugby Championship for having those three Tests and getting up to some sort of international speed," Cron predicts, setting the scene for a titanic clash that could well be an early preview of another World Cup showdown.
As the rugby world holds its breath, the stage is set for what may be a defining moment in the historic rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks. With tactics, power, and pride on the line, this two-part rugby saga is not to be missed.
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As the clock ticks closer to the Rugby Championship, former All Blacks scrum sage Mike Cron is practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a fiery showdown between New Zealand and South Africa. With both teams coming off an undefeated July, the stakes are sky-high as they prepare for their epic face-off in September.
The All Blacks, fresh from dominating a not-so-stellar French team, and the Boks, who played chess on the rugby field with Italy and Georgia, are gearing up for what could be the most explosive matches of the year. Cron, known widely as the "scrum doctor" due to his 15-year tenure molding the All Blacks' scrum, is all but setting off fireworks in excitement for the upcoming bouts at Eden Park and in Wellington.
"That’s the ultimate, isn’t it? You still think back to the World Cup final, you know, and you see some bloody things going on at the moment that are maybe not quite in the spirit of the game, you think it would be nice if the ABs get up and just give it to them,"
Cron confided to DSPN’s Martin Devlin. Despite New Zealand's less-than-perfect performance against the French backups, Cron believes the team will shape up just in time to deliver a masterclass against the Springboks. "It’s a difficult period for them," he acknowledges, empathizing with the delicate balance head coach Scott Robertson and his selectors must maintain between immediate game strategy and long-term World Cup preparations.
The former scrum master is confident that the trio of tests against France has served as the perfect primer for the All Blacks. "It takes the boys a few Test matches to get up to international speed. The ABs will be a hell of a lot better heading into the Rugby Championship for having those three Tests and getting up to some sort of international speed," Cron predicts, setting the scene for a titanic clash that could well be an early preview of another World Cup showdown.
As the rugby world holds its breath, the stage is set for what may be a defining moment in the historic rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks. With tactics, power, and pride on the line, this two-part rugby saga is not to be missed.