Ex-All Black offers theory to Springboks scrum success as ‘absolute dominance’ has a ‘consistent theme’
Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx prepares to scrum against Argentina and an inset of Ox Nche.
Former All Blacks hooker James Parsons has hailed the Springboks’ ability to ‘destroy’ opposition packs but pinpoints the ‘consistent theme’ in their success at the set-piece.
South Africa leaned into their scrum dominance en route to securing back-to-back Rugby Championship titles, with the set-piece having a particularly telling impact in the last game of the competition against Argentina.
The Springboks scrum was truly impressive during the competition, winning a mind-boggling 19 penalties, 11 more than the next-best posted by the All Blacks.
Ox Nche’s influence
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Podcast, Parsons theorised that the ‘mass’ of the Springboks pack is part of the reason that they are so dominant in the scrum.
South Africa dominated the set-piece even when they were down a man, with the former hooker explaining that it’s not sheer weight but the Boks’ ability to transition that weight into power.
Still, he pinpoints Ox Nche as a pivotal cog in the Green and Gold scrum, with the loosehead prop being the consistent theme when South Africa have been their most dominant.
“Everyone thinks that we’ve [All Blacks] gone backwards in our own set-piece, but I don’t think we have,” the former Blues forward began.
“But to talk to the Springboks specifically, I’m starting to think it’s a mass thing, like technically, like the Argentinian scrum was absorbing it, but man, it was just something else.
“If you listen to every prop in World Rugby, they constantly reference Ox Nche, and he came off the field, and Argentina actually started coming back at scrum time and got some penalties of their own.
“Malcolm Marx is an absolute beast, Thomas du Toit is a beast, but Ox Nche seems to be there, when they have that absolute dominance and are destroying packs; he seems to be the consistent theme when they dominate.”
Attitude
The Springboks’ attitude towards the scrum is also a key factor, according to Parsons, with Rassie Erasmus’ charges ‘scrumming for penalties’ but do so in a full eight-man effort.
“I do think a lot of it’s to do with the size of those players. I’m not saying Argentina are small, but it’s that transition of weight,” he continued.
“You can see Pieter-Steph du Toit curling the grass like he is ready to rock and roll. He’s not going to a scrum looking up going, ‘Who am I defending or how do I get to the first ruck?’ It’s all on.
“They scrum for penalties and it’s such a gift when you have dominance at scrum time; there’s no better feeling, you are just salivating to get to a scrum to milk a penalty because then you know you get a breather, you can kick to the corner, and they’re just so efficient in the 22.”
“It’s demoralising”
Ex-Crusaders and Maori All Blacks scrum-half Bryn Hall added that it is also ‘demoralising’ for the opposition to see their set-piece backtracking the way that Argentina’s did during the final round of the Rugby Championship. That is because any small error with ball in hand is brutally punished.
While Argentina had tactics to try to avoid conceding penalties in the scrum, their efforts were futile.
“It’s demoralising as well, I was just watching and Argentina got a counter-attack but like a little knock on off that then you think, ‘Okay, well that was a really good play but you know what that little knock on that was a 50/50 or even a 60-40 – it’s not that bad – and you got to go to a scrum’,” he said.
“They even tried quick hooks, their solution was to try to get the ball in and out but anytime South Africa had a scrum, they were just getting penalties and bullying them.
“You look at Cobus Reinach’s try, it just pops out because of the dominance around the scrum and how easy it is for a nine to score off that. ”
He added: “Don’t underestimate that when you have a scrum like that, it doesn’t matter where you are in the game. If it’s a close game and you know that you’re going to get a penalty and you’re going to work teams from that, it’s a great advantage to have.”
