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Bloemfontein - No loosehead prop in Europe has been able to dominate France’s Nicolas Mas.
That is the warning of former Springbok lock Gerrie Britz, who scrums behind the French tighthead prop for club side Perpignan.
He believes a big challenge awaits Bok loosehead prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira in the scrums.
“Nicolas is genuinely a powerful scrummager. One thing one always needs to bear in mind about the French, is that they consider scrummaging the most important facet of the game,” said Britz.
“They attach a lot of value to the scrums and use it as a launch pad for attacks. By contrast, one gets the impression that the Boks place a lot of emphasis on the lineouts.”
However, Britz believes that Mas will struggle to get the better of Mtawarira while the Bok front row is backed up by the lock pairing of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha.
“With Bakkies and the guys there, I don’t think Beast needs to be concerned,” said Britz.
He expects the Boks to have paid attention to the scrums after the South Africans got a scrumming lesson from Leicester last Friday.
Mtawarira will also be out to prove a point against Mas after last impressing in the scrums in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions.
The inclusion of Wian du Preez and CJ van der Linde as props on the Bok bench is an indication that the South Africans are expecting a huge onslaught in the scrums.
Britz also thinks the Boks should prepare themselves for an unpredictable French side.
“Everything will depend on which team gets out of the team bus. The French can beat any opponent on any given day, but also lose to a school team. They are an unpredictable bunch,” he said.
“With the weather possibly playing a role on Friday, I believe the kicking boots of Fourie du Preez (scrumhalf) and Morné Steyn (flyhalf) can be crucial in determining the outcome. If they can pin down the French in the corners, things can go very well for the Boks.”
However, the Boks should take note of centre Maxime Mermoz.
“He is Perpignan’s leading try-scorer. It normally takes more than one defender to bring him down. It will be a good duel between him and Jaque Fourie,” said Britz.
Bloemfontein - No loosehead prop in Europe has been able to dominate France’s Nicolas Mas.
That is the warning of former Springbok lock Gerrie Britz, who scrums behind the French tighthead prop for club side Perpignan.
He believes a big challenge awaits Bok loosehead prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira in the scrums.
“Nicolas is genuinely a powerful scrummager. One thing one always needs to bear in mind about the French, is that they consider scrummaging the most important facet of the game,” said Britz.
“They attach a lot of value to the scrums and use it as a launch pad for attacks. By contrast, one gets the impression that the Boks place a lot of emphasis on the lineouts.”
However, Britz believes that Mas will struggle to get the better of Mtawarira while the Bok front row is backed up by the lock pairing of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha.
“With Bakkies and the guys there, I don’t think Beast needs to be concerned,” said Britz.
He expects the Boks to have paid attention to the scrums after the South Africans got a scrumming lesson from Leicester last Friday.
Mtawarira will also be out to prove a point against Mas after last impressing in the scrums in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions.
The inclusion of Wian du Preez and CJ van der Linde as props on the Bok bench is an indication that the South Africans are expecting a huge onslaught in the scrums.
Britz also thinks the Boks should prepare themselves for an unpredictable French side.
“Everything will depend on which team gets out of the team bus. The French can beat any opponent on any given day, but also lose to a school team. They are an unpredictable bunch,” he said.
“With the weather possibly playing a role on Friday, I believe the kicking boots of Fourie du Preez (scrumhalf) and Morné Steyn (flyhalf) can be crucial in determining the outcome. If they can pin down the French in the corners, things can go very well for the Boks.”
However, the Boks should take note of centre Maxime Mermoz.
“He is Perpignan’s leading try-scorer. It normally takes more than one defender to bring him down. It will be a good duel between him and Jaque Fourie,” said Britz.
