England prop Kyle Sinckler has defended the Springbok scrum following accusations of illegal tactics by the All Blacks.
The battle up front has been the biggest flashpoint of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, with All Blacks coach Dave Rennie accusing the Boks of “walking around” at the set-piece after both the first and second Tests.
The Boks responded emphatically in the third Test at FNB Stadium, earning four scrum penalties and, late in the first half, decimating the All Blacks pack to win a penalty try.
WATCH: Power Bok scrum wins penalty try
Sinckler believes the accusations have only fired up a Bok scrum that has no need to cheat.
“All of the pressure that was put on [the Boks] by the New Zealand side in terms of walking around, wheeling around – I’ve never heard so much [about it],’ Sinckler said on the Biggar Thinking: Rugby Analysis podcast.
“But I think that kind of pressure from the outside really revved up the South African boys and they really put it to New Zealand in this Test.
“In my experience playing against South Africa, they’re not the type of team where they’re going to manipulate or mess around.
“Those big packs have got so much quality. They don’t need to manipulate or make something happen.
“They trust their processes. They trust their training. They trust the individuals that they have in the team, and even the people who aren’t in the team.
“How many games have they won in the past which have come down to their scrum?
“It might seem a bit strange from the outside looking in, but they’ve been in that situation where their scrum has won them World Cups, won them big tournaments.
“So for them, that is as guaranteed as taking the three points.”
ALSO: ‘Humble’ Kiwis look for scrum quick fix
There has also been debate over whether World Rugby is seeking to depower the scrum through law changes and the way existing laws are applied by referees.
Sinckler, though, is firmly against diminishing the contest and believes the attention generated by the Bok-All Blacks scrum battle has been good for the sport.
“The scrum is what makes rugby union rugby union.
“The set-piece, the lineout, the maul, the scrum, the ruck – it just highlights how important that part of the game is and why it should always be at the forefront of our game.
“Sometimes, which frustrates me, especially when you watch rugby on TV, you have commentators say, ‘Oh, we need to hurry this up. There needs to be a time on it.’
“It’s like, no. This is a contest. This is what rugby union is about. This is the game.
“This is the only chance, realistically, in my opinion, within the sport where you literally go up against your opposite man.
“That’s the contest, and it should be heightened. It should be bigged up like it has been throughout the series.
“I’m obviously always going to be biased, but I’ve absolutely loved it.”
The post ‘Boks don’t need to manipulate scrum’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
England prop Kyle Sinckler has defended the Springbok scrum following accusations of “walking around” by the All Blacks.
The post ‘Boks don’t need to manipulate scrum’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
