RUGBY NEWS - If you ask veteran Springbok prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira to choose between man and machine, he wouldn’t have too much hesitation in opting for man.
At least that is the case when it comes to preparing for a scrum battle in a big match, something he and his fellow Bok forwards are working hard at as they look forward to their Castle Lager Rugby Championship with the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday.
With the Australian scrum looking vulnerable against the All Blacks in the opening two rounds of the Championship and the Bok unit dominating the highly rated Pumas, there is a big focus on the scrum battle being a decisive influence on the destination of Saturday’s game.
Scrum coach Matt Proudfoot has told media he is confident that the scrum can continue its improvement, and Mtawarira concurs that the scrumming is still a work in progress.
He reckons that the infusion of young front row talent that has upped the competitiveness for starting places has been a good thing as it has enabled the Boks to get in some spirited live scrum sessions. He feels live scrumming is far more valuable than scrumming against a scrum machine.
“Some of our training includes live scrumming and that is something that I personally enjoy,” said Mtawarira.
“On match day you are not going up against a scrum machine, and I think that is the best way to prepare for a test match. You actually have a pack in front of you and we make it very difficult for each other. On a Saturday it’s all about muscle memory.”
The 92 times capped Bok is now by far the elder statesman in a Bok scrum that, when it comes to the front row players, is looking youthful.
“We are a young scrum and we are growing and every weekend is an opportunity to get better. I am looking forward to more improvement,” said the man known to all rugby followers as the Beast.
As someone who has been part of the Bok squad since he made his debut way back in 2008, Mtawarira’s view on the much spoken about current team environment is worth noting.
He feels the attitude is expressed through the team’s defensive effort, which has been outstanding in 2017.
“Defence for us is an attitude thing, we want to show each other how much we feel for the next guy. We are looking for improvement all the time and at training the guys are focussed and physical and then take that onto the field on match day,” he said.
