The Bok scrum is above board — the rest is just mind games

The Springboks pride themselves in scrummaging legally because they have the players and the coaching to do it above board.

The reason we’re so dominant is because of the effort that goes into preparation: the work that we do on the field and off it and in our analysis. We are completely prepared for any opposition that we face.

That’s why we’re so clinical, and then the opposition tends to try to find ways to limit our power – firstly by influencing the referee’s decision, or through underhand tricks on the field, such as collapsing the scrum and doing things that are not going to reward us for what we’re trying to achieve.

We just have a stronger loosehead than their tighthead, and he’s basically just destroying their guy through power, aggression and technique. There is no walking around.

Springbok forwards coach Daan Human is like his predecessor, Matthew Proudfoot, who coached me. They know about scrummaging. It feels like they’ve got a PhD in scrummaging, and the way they just go about their business sets the tone and the expectations across the forward pack.

When you get to that level, you up the intensity. You know exactly what is required, and you deliver it. From Ox Nché all the way to Jasper Wiese at the back, everybody brings it. Everybody’s in sync. That’s why we’re so devastating when we are on that field and going head-to-head with the opposition up front.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie is trying to influence the referees. He’s obviously trying to help his team. He wants them to get some sort of parity up front, to try and reduce our power, or influence the ref’s calls and his approach when it comes to scrummaging. But I don’t think these comments will make the Boks change their approach to the scrums. You never change what works.

Accusation ‘utter nonsense’

Dave Rennie’s accusation is utter nonsense. He’s saying that Ox steps out and then comes in, almost walking around, which is illegal. But this is not evident in the videos or live during the games. You can tell that it’s just pure strength.

We just have a stronger loosehead than their tighthead, and he’s basically just destroying their guy through power, aggression and technique. There is no walking around.

The All Blacks are playing this mind game because they know this is a point of focus where they could lose the battle in a big way, and that could obviously affect the outcome of that Test match.

The biggest area where the All Blacks are lacking right now is at tighthead prop. They can be exposed at tighthead. Having a strong scrummager like Ox, means the Boks will still try for scrum penalties through our loosehead prop.

The scrum

As a prop I used to feel disappointed when the opposition tried to collapse the scrum or depower us. But the one thing you should never do is get frustrated. You just have to trust the process and keep on doing what you do well.

If you stick to the basics, in the end the reward will come. It might not be in the 10th minute, but it will come in the 79th minute and you’ll win the game. You never change that process.

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Having referee Nika Amashukeli in the middle of this Test will be fantastic. I’d say he is probably the best in the world and won’t be flustered by the occasion and all the media talk. He will ref accordingly, reffing what he sees. He has obviously refereed in the URC and knows a lot of our players quite well. But he won’t go into the match with any preconceived ideas and will manage the scrumming well.

Backs to ‘bring the magic’

New Zealand obviously rely on their backs to bring the magic. That is where they might possess a slight advantage over the Springboks. That backline is devastating.

We saw it last weekend in Cape Town, where they broke us down and scored some amazing tries. Going for a 5-3 bench split shows me they are going for their strengths.

They know that up front they won’t dominate us, so they’d rather go for the wider channels and survive up front as long as possible.

It’s just mind games and in Test match rugby that plays a factor. Rassie plays his own mind games by switching the team right before kick-off, which also influences the match and so forth.

But when it comes to scrummaging, the Boks are above board. They don’t do anything that is illegal. They don’t need to. DM