Boks have 'slow poison' plan for Los Pumas

South Africa’s famed maul may appear to have been less effective in recent outings, but it remains a potent weapon for the Springboks.

Seasoned prop Retshegofaditswe Nche said there is more value in a maul than just marching the opposition downfield or over their tryline.

Speaking in the build-up to the first match in the two-Test Rugby Championship encounters with Argentina, the 13-times capped front row forward said it can also be used to take the sting out of the opposition.

The tournament is delicately poised – New Zealand first on 11 points, followed by South Africa, Australia and Argentina all on nine points.

That is why Round Five is going to be crucial.

The Boks face Los Pumas in Buenos Aires next Saturday, September 17.

The prop said the Boks’ maul remains a key weapon – especially as part of the ‘slow poison’ process.

“You could see in the second Test against Australia, how they struggled to ge around the park,” he said about using the maul as a method to tire the opposition out.

“If it is done properly, it is still very effective,” Nche said, adding that it was an area of the game Los Pumas were very effective in during their win over the All Blacks in Round Three.

The prop said the Boks will have to work on evolving their maul, as Los Pumas are very effective in stopping mauls.

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Nche said the Argentinean scrum remains a threat, despite sitting at only an 80 percent success rate – the second worst in the competition.

The Springboks top the scrum success ratings with 85 percent.

However, in the line-outs – where Los Pumas top the stats with an 89 percent success rate – they show the work and effort they put into their set pieces.

“You can see in their scrums against Australia and New Zealand how they countered them [the opposition],” the 27-year-old prop said, adding: “It is going to be a great challenge.”

He said there will be a lot of work in the build-up to the Round Five outing in Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires next Saturday.

@rugby365com