High praise for all-action props

 

The Springboks victory over Italy last weekend saw a reworked front row with stalwarts Tendai Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis getting a deserved rest, in Du Plessis' case, through injury.

 

Nyakane and Oosthuizen were handed starts against a well regarded Italian front row which features the likes of Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Matias Aguero.

 

There has been much debate about Oosthuizen's best position in the scrum, be it tighthead or loosehead, but he and Nyakane fronted up well in the scrums – with Van Graan attributing the effort to the whole pack and their mentality.

 

"It was a good effort, not only from Coenie, Trevor and Ardriaan [Strauss], but from the whole pack," the coach said.

 

Van Graan went on to describe the testing conditions his young props had to endure.

 

"I think we started the game well and it was some of the longest scrum sets that I have seen – the ball just lying in the middle of the scrum – two packs just really going at each other.

 

"I thought we talked well in the scrums, our technique was good and it was a great team effort.

 

"You can only do what you can do but I think all credit to the pack, they really stood up to an excellent scrum."

 

The coach may have spread his praise over the eight forwards at scrum time, but he was still impressed with the work the two Free State players got though in the tight loose.

 

"I think that is why Coenie and Trevor are quality Test players," Van Graan said when asked about the extra work the props got through.

 

"Coenie scored that try, he made 11 tackles and had six ball carries.

 

"Trevor had a fantastic steal in the middle of the field, I thought he cleaned very well, he also helped secure the maul at the front, we made 30 yards from that and got a penalty on one occasion.

 

"It is the small things that make the difference, it is nice to see when you do things in training and it happens on the field.

 

"It is the players making the right decisions.

 

"Especially well done to those guys."