'Tahs very South African-esque?
Stormers forwards coach Matt Proudfoot expects a physical challenge from the Waratahs, who he believes play a very South African brand of rugby with their pack of forwards.
While many Australian sides prefer to throw the ball around in an open style with the back, the ‘Tahs have formed a strong scrum and don’t shy away from the hard yards up front.
Proudfoot is preparing his troops for an abrasive physical test from the ‘Tahs, and the South African flavour to their forwards play is not just because scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius is the one yelling instructions to the big boys.
“They are very South African like in their approach to their pack,” Proudfoot told this website.
“They look to take you on up front and want to break you down first, where as other Aussie sides want to move you around first.
“They really want to take you on and impose themselves with the forwards.”
While Australian scrums are often targeted as a weakness, the Waratahs boast a Wallaby front row in Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nou and Sekope Kepu.
“Robinson has been one of the best scrummagers in the competition for a couple of years, and Polota-Nou and Kepu are top players,” Proudfoot said. “They don’t stop after the engagement at scrum time and keep working and throw more power into the scrum that way.”
Proudfoot will be working his scrum hard this week at training and told the forwards exactly what he though of their lackluster performance in the second half against the Cheetahs.
“I thought in the first half we were really good and in the second half I just don’t know what happened – it was like a different pack was on the field,” he explained.
“In the first 40 minutes we put in a great scrummaging performance and dominated the engagement. In the second half we didn’t do that, and coughed up four line-outs as well.
“There is no one guy to blame, it’s just mistakes from a number of guys that adds up and that’s not up to our standards.
“That infuriated me and I let them know at training on Monday. We worked hard to be in a position and then took our foot off the accelerator and gave the advantage back to the Cheetahs.”
Another challenge facing the coach this week is in the back row after Nizaam Carr joined Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster on the injured list.
“It’s probably the forwards turn,” Proudfoot quipped. “Siya [Kolisi] asked me why there so many injuries, and I said after 800 minutes of rugby the chances of injuries increase drastically and that’s where we are in the season.
“Unfortunately it’s all in one position at No.8 and we had the same thing with our flyhalves last year, so we just have to take it and move on.”
The injury means that Canadian loose forward Jebb Sinclair will start in the back row after a Super Rugby baptism of fire against the Cheetahs.
“In his second week here he’ll feel more accustomed to what we’re doing and can start to express himself. I told him before the game that we have a motto about physicality and he didn’t shy away, so we were happy with that.
By Timmy Hancox
