The all-conquering Springboks on Monday played down their chances in this week’s Tri-Nations rugby clash against a struggling Australian outfit who have been outmuscled in their past three Tests.
But forwards coach Gert Smal delivered the first blow in the inevitable psychological build-up when he again heaped pressure on the lighter Australian pack, which he accused of deliberately destabilising scrums.
Smal said Wallaby halfback and captain George Gregan delayed the feed to the scrums and the Australian pack were moving off the mark before the packs engaged.
”They shift away to their loosehead side and that causes a lot of movement and a lot of instability in the whole scrumming set-up, and that’s part of the tactic,” Smal said.
”There are different ways you can counteract, but that means a lot of movement in the scrums and that’s why George Gregan delays the throw-in.”
Smal implied the tactic weakened the effectiveness of the opponents’ scrum but stopped short of calling the move illegal.
”I think what was good to see was in the last game [against New Zealand] that the referee penalised them on their own ball as well,” Smal said.
”If you look carefully at the previous game, there wasn’t one of their scrums where they go for the hit — every scrum of theirs went to ground. They collapsed it every time.
”But I think the referee actually picked it up quite nicely in the previous game. So, hopefully, this week will be the same.
”Obviously that’s one of our strengths. That’s where we want to apply the pressure. As long as they don’t delay the throw-in, don’t walk around unnecessarily, we’ll be up for it.”
The Springboks, sitting on top of the Tri-Nations table with wins over both the Wallabies and New Zealand in South Africa, clash with the Aussies at Perth’s Subiaco Oval on Saturday.
The Australians were pushed around by the stronger New Zealand scrum in Sydney last Saturday, losing that match 30-13, but Springbok coach Jake White played down the significance of the defeat.
”We have played against them now, that same pack of forwards, in the last two years anyway. We haven’t mainly managed to get the upper hand on the Australian pack,” he said.
White also played down suggestions of an injury crisis in the Australian team, especially amongst the back line, and dismissed any suggestion they were vulnerable by pointing to their formidable home record.
”A lot has been said about the fact that there’s an under-strength Wallaby team. I don’t think we must be misled by that,” he said.
”They’ve got a record at home, I think they’ve played 29 games at home and they’ve lost five since Eddie Jones has been the coach.
”They are not going to be lying down because they’ve got injuries — they’ve got a proud record, they’ve got to two World Cup finals — the last two World Cup finals. They’ve got a lot of Test-match experience in all the players that are coming in anyway.
”I mean, [Chris] Latham comes back, he didn’t play last weekend. So, they are going to be as strong as any Australian side has been before.”
Hooker Jeremy Paul and centre Stirling Mortlock have both been ruled out of the Australian team, with injury worries also over flyhalf Matt Giteau, centre Morgan Turinui and playmaker Elton Flatley.
But White said the Wallabies have first-rate choices, with players such as Clyde Rathbone, newcomer Drew Mitchell who shone against the All Blacks, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri and Latham all potentially available.
”The only guy that I think would be a huge loss to them — and this goes without saying — is Stephen Larkham,” he said. — Sapa-AFP