Boks face scrum battle
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:21
Fronting up: John Smit faces the media
Springbok captain John Smit, who is struggling to overcome the affects of a 30-hour flight from France to Wellington, is more concerned about the threat posed by the All Black scrum than jetlag.
Smit, speaking to the media after his arrival in Wellington, said the New Zealand scrum seemed to have barely suffered this year despite losing tighthead juggernaut Carl Hayman to English club Newcastle Falcons.
The Bok captain, basing his view on what he saw during New Zealand's two-nil whitewash of England in last month's Test series, said South Africa will have an enormous scrum battle on their hands when they face New Zealand in the opening Tri-Nations match on Saturday.
"The All Blacks got the upper hand, despite England's strong scrum," the Bok captain told a media throng at Wellington's airport.
"The All Blacks have dominated their opponents in the scrums in every match they've played this season."
Smit's remarks make it clear that the scrums will take on extra importance at the Westpac Stadium, with wintry conditions and a return to the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) likely to throw up more scrum restarts.
New Zealand's premier scrummager Tony Woodcock makes a timely return from a toe injury and could cause problems for a South African pack shorn of retired prop Os du Randt and without Sharks strongman BJ Botha, who was surprisingly not picked.
Coach Peter de Villiers preferred rookie props Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati, along with the more seasoned CJ van der Linde and Gürthro Steenkamp, none of whom have been dominant Test performers.
Their best scrummager is possibly hooker Smit, who admitted there had been mixed returns this year.
Their scrum struggled in the first test against Wales, improved in the second Test but was unimpressive again against Italy, when Smit was absent on duty for his French club Clermont.
Smit said some of the problems were due to a lack of selection consistency in the front row, but said there could be no excuse against the All Blacks.
"There are some Test matches that you know will be hard," Smit said.
"The All Blacks in New Zealand is one of those in which the physical aspect is non-negotiable. If you don't stand up in that respect, you're going to be on the back foot from the outset. We must not let ourselves down from a physical viewpoint."
* Meanwhile Smit remained sceptical about the ELVs, which he will experience for the first time on Saturday.
Smit, who arrived in Wellington only on Tuesday after a long-haul flight from Europe where his French club Clermont lost in the Top 14 Final to Toulouse, is one of four Springboks who have not played any games under the ELVs.
The Bok captain, lock Victor Matfield, flyhalf Butch James and fullback Percy Montgomery were all playing club rugby in Europe while their teammates were getting a taste of the ELVs in the Super 14.
There will be two additions being used from this weekend onwards - unlimited line-out numbers and being able to drag a maul down.
And Smit is clearly not impressed with any of the new laws.
"They haven't tried to reinvent the wheel for some time and I thought that rugby was pretty good beforehand. I've come from Europe where the old rules are going well and you can't get a seat in any stadium," Smit said on his arrival in Wellington.
"It really is a world that I have to experience for the first time on Saturday. After I've had a few tests in it I'll be able to tell you more. But I didn't think it was broken before."
Smit said he was most interested and also concerned at the rights given to defenders to sack a maul. He worried about the implications of that law at lower levels of the sport.
