/ 17 March 1995

Playing it fast in the loose

Pace against power in the loose forwards is a question=20 that will be highlighted in the Super 10 clash between=20 Transvaal and Western Province

RUGBY: Jon Swift

THERE can be little doubt that Transvaal have already=20 taken on the look — and demonstrated the drive in=20 patches — of this country’s preeminent provincial=20

Despite what coach Ray Mordt described as a less than=20 satisfactory performance in beating North Harbour in=20 their second Super 10 series encounter in as many weeks=20 at Ellis Park, this is the well from which much of the=20 international chalenge for World Cup honours will flow.

In defence of the Transvaal team, they had performed=20 probably above themselves against New South Wales. and=20 to then take on the hardened campaigners of North=20 Harbour just seven days later was a tough task indeed.

North Harbour are typified by Transvaal and South=20 African captain Francois Pienaar as being “quite a=20 physical side”. This is typical Pienaar understated=20

In truth there are no soft sides from New Zealand and=20 North Harbour, situated as they are a mere spit and=20 holler across the bay from the more glamorous Auckland=20 union, are renowned for never holding back.

Transvaal, still without Pienaar at the helm and this=20 time being led by Balie Swart with Rudolph Straueli=20 missing this weekend’s game, now face Western Province=20 in the competition which matches the top sides in the=20 southern hemisphere.

In the wake of their thrashing at the hands of Otago in=20 the first Super 10 outing for die Kaapenaars, Province=20 have added some pace to the side of the scrum in the=20 form of Andrew Aitken among four changes to the side.

Aitken, one of the forgotten men of South African loose=20 forward play, could be the answer to the question Otago=20 posed: can you substitute power for pace? That=20 perennial poser for selectors was answered by Otago in=20 convincing fashion.

It is a conundrum which all the favoured teams — or=20 more accurately their management teams — will have to=20 face as the World Cup draws near. For, as devastating=20 as the England forwards have looked in the Five Nations=20 competition this season, their lack of a yard was shown=20 up to great effect by the South African team in the=20 second Test of their tour last year.

Even on the turf of Newlands — not noted as being the=20 best underfoot in this country — the England loose=20 trio were made to look ponderous at times.

National coach Kitch Christie has applied his incisive=20 logic to the problem which became apparent in the=20 humiliation of the South African side at Loftus=20

“You get at the big guys,” is the way Christie sees it,=20 “and don’t let them get moving.”

This is undoubtedly the strategy Christie will apply=20 wherever he can during the World Cup. Stop the big=20 loose forwards from building up a head of steam and you=20 can hold your opponents behind the advantage line.

All that said, it will be of interest to see whether=20 the gathering Transvaal momentum continues against=20 Western Province.=20

And whether Aitken can use his pace and ball-playing=20 skills to open up the rivets on the side of the=20 Transvaal juggernaut. One would suspect that not only=20 Christie will be pondering the result.

There are 15 other men responsible for the progress of=20 their particular sides in the World Cup who will be=20 watching closely the outcome of the contest.