VIDEO: Pumba ready for 'dark arts' in the Den
Argentina’s game is forward orientated and they enjoy putting their heads in the dark places where most people fear to tread.
This is the opinion of Springbok Trevor Nyakane, who is excited to get his first taste of Test rugby this season – after being named among the replacements for Saturday’s closing Rugby Championship clash against Argentina in Johannesburg
The 34-year-old prop, nicknamed Pumba by his teammates after The Lion King character, ‘extolled’ the virtues of a Los Puma pack renowned for taking pride in their scrum technique, traditionally called the Bajada.
In their early years, their whole play centred around dominating the scrums, but this technique subsided somewhat and they started bringing in some exciting backs to vary their style of play.
But it was during the Tri-Nations in 2020 that the Bajada was reawakened under the tutelage of former Wallaby forwards coach Mario Ledesma when they rediscovered much of their pride and true identity.
They were mean and they were tough.
And that is what Nyakane is alluding to.
Leicester and England prop Dan Cole once said: “To the Pumas, the scrum is a pushing contest where the unit going back, loses.
But Nyakane is not shying away from the contest ahead.
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“When it comes to Argentina, you know it’s going to bone on bone and you know it’s going to be a tough challenge,” the big forward told a media gathering during the build-up to Saturday’s face-off.
“I think they’ve come a long way from just being Argentina that just wants to go physical.
“They’ve got a few moves in the line-out that keeps you thinking and the way they scrum, we all know that is one aspect of the game that they really enjoy.
“If you are not aware or not ready, they can put you under immense pressure.
“For us, we definitely know they are no slouch, they are not just going to go away. They are going to keep coming the whole day, it doesn’t matter how much you dominate.
“They don’t give up and they don’t go away.
Even if you dominate them in the first scrum, if you think you’ve got it, they will come back at you and bite you,” Nyakane said, still with a big smile on his face.
“They are a very physical pack, very forward-orientated, and they enjoy putting their heads in the dark places where most people don’t really like being.
“So I think that’s the most difficult part of playing them.
“If you play other games and you keep imposing yourself physically, sometimes they go away. But a team like Argentina, especially in the pack, they’ve got some real inspirational players.
“The bigs dogs who know the dark arts of the game, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us to make sure we try and apply as much pressure as possible at scrum time, the mauling or rucks.
“It’s been a while since I’ve worn the jersey, so I’m very excited,” the prop said.
“Everyone who gets the opportunity to wear the Green and Gold, obviously wants to put up their hand and do his best and put in a great performance.
“The competition is high in the team which is very healthy and it’s not just about me having a great performance, but fulfilling a role in the team.
“The machine that we work in, is well-oiled and functioning in the right way.
“So, obviously as a player, you would like to go onto the field and put out a great performance.
“However, you need to find a place in the team where you fit in, where you can contribute with what you are good at and you can offer to the team to make the team better,” the 121kg tighthead prop said.
He said he was very excited about the opportunity and really wanted to go out there and express and enjoy himself.
“But yet, I am with 14 other guys on the field and we are trying to achieve the same goal. It’s not just about Trevor, it’s about the whole team.
“It’s these kind of games that we get excited about.”
