Bok forwards must be clever
2005-07-21 21:37
Hennie Brandt
Johannesburg - The Springbok forwards cannot rely on their strength alone, but they will have to play a clever game to trump the Wallabies in deciding Test for the Mandela Cup at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A lot has been written about the way in which the Wallabies scrum, with the controversial loosehead Bill Young in the thick of things.
It is, however, a fact that not one tighthead has managed to stamp his authority on a scrum playing against Young, because referees allow him to get away with murder.
National coach Jake White has devised a plan to cash in on one of the few weak points in the Wallaby team.
The Bok front row comprising Gurthro Steenkamp (loosehead), John Smit (hooker) and Eddie Andrews (tighthead) will play a big role.
Steenkamp, playing in his fifth Test, will come up against Al Baxter, while Andrews' direct opponent will be Young. Andrews will play in his 13th Test.
Twenty-four-year-old Steenkamp says the match against the Wallabies will be the biggest of his short Test career.
Steenkamp said: "Everything being said about the Australian way of scrumming makes it just more exciting.
"We are going to scrum against a good team and their technique is excellent. It is a big challenge. We will have to be clever in the scrums to ensure we dominate," Steenkamp said.
Springbok rugby is known for its physical pack. Steenkamp says the Wallabies are much more technical in scrums because they are not as big as the Boks.
Fewer scrums nowadays
He thinks it is important that the Boks sum up the situation on the field and adapt accordingly.
The loosehead said: "I think we often carried on trying the same thing. That is why we have now decided to adapt to the circumstances on the field."
He agrees that there are far fewer scrums nowadays compared to days gone by.
Steenkamp said: "This is as a result of much better handling, because teams spend a lot of time on that aspect. Despite this, scrums still play an important role, because they form part of set pieces where you can get good possession.
"That is why there is pressure on the players to make sure they scrum well, because if the pack goes back, the scrumhalf gets poor possession and he, in turn, passes a bad ball to the flyhalf."
Even though he is one of the relative newcomers to the Bok team, Steenkamp is not worried that he will receive "special treatment" in his biggest match to date.
"Rugby is a professional game. If you concentrate on just one player all the time, you forget about all the other important things. Australia will not do this," Steenkamp said.
- Beeld