ELVs to favour SA scrums

The new law keeping backline defenders five metres beyond the scrum will allow South African franchises significant momentum in the Super 14.

The Stormers played Boland in a warm-up game last Saturday and predictably cruised to a comfortable victory. Of their 12 tries, two were scored from first phase off the scrum with Robbie Diack and Peter Grant utilising the extra space to beat defenders. While defensive lines will be tougher to breach in the Super 14, Stormers assistant coach Gary Gold expects this law to favour a team with a solid scrum.

“I think the Aussie thinking behind this ruling is that it would help them, as it does provide more space,” Gold told keo.co.za. “But teams that can dominate in the scrums will have a big advantage and it will be quite difficult to defend.”

While the Bulls, Cheetahs, Sharks and Lions are all traditionally powerful up front, the Stormers’ scrum is perennially criticised. Despite the 72-10 scoreline in Wellington, the Stormers were asked some serious questions by Andries Human and company. Gold admitted there is still some work to be done up front.

“I think if you had to find a word for our first outing, ’satisfactory’ would be it. We did reasonably well in the set-pieces and did well to disrupt some of their line-outs. There is room for improvement, but we are still a month away from our first match [against the Bulls]. We need to work a bit harder on our mauls and drives, but after our first outing, I’d say we are pretty much where we want to be.”

The Stormers pack will receive a massive boost when prop Brian Mujati and lock Ross Skeate return from injury. Mujati is arguably the most important acquisition made by Erasmus in the off-season. If the tighthead can replicate the form displayed for the Lions in 2007, the Stormers may finally silence their critics at scrum time.

Gold agreed with Erasmus’s post-match statement concerning the breakdown. The Cavaliers provided a good contest at the tackle point but the Stormers loose forwards showed few signs of rust in this area, World Cup-winner Schalk Burger emerging as the stand out.

“We will always look to improve in what is such a fundamental part of the game, but I agree, it did go well at the breakdown. Xolani Mofu put us under a lot of pressure but I thought our guys handled it well,” Gold said.

By Jon Cardinelli

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at 8:55 am and is filed under Super 14. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

51. Fern

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm

Howzit all.
Cane the William Web Ellis Trophy has no problem getting aclimatised here,thought I just let you know.
Cane I need some travel advice,whats good to do in NZ whislt on holiday,adventure sport wise none of this namby pamby yuppie scum tourist things.

52. basjan Reply to this comment

“the Stormers were asked some serious questions by Andries Human and company”…. Then why don’t the Stormers pick Andries Human and company to help solve their scrumming problems?

53. Desert Stormer Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:04 pm

Hello

54. cab

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm

basjan,
exactly, human is surely just what they want, spend some money entice the oke.

55. Desert Stormer Reply to this comment

52 – because we have raided the Loins of Majarti!

56. cane

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm

RP,

No not sad at all. He had a wonderful life. And he lived every minute of it to the full. 88 is not a bad innings

My local Newspaper called him, “Our Abraham Lincoln”.

That sort of headline would have embarrassed Ed.

We were lucky to have him.

Goodnight Princess,
Cane.

57. Fern

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm

Cane post#51.dont go,i need aome advice

58. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Cane
True, but I wish he was still here … Oohh dinner & movie time – Room Service have arrived

Fern
You need more than that

59. Fern

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm

well rp start with the touring/things to do advice

60. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm

Fern
You always go out of yr way to bag NZ – why visit ?

61. Fern

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm

why not RP?I havent seen much of the south island and i have never seen snow in my life.
i fully enjoy nz as holiday spot but could not life there,its just not africa.africa is in my blood.

62. londonshark Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Must have Super 14…..must…have……

63. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:23 pm

I find it interesting that you bag us one minute & want to visit the next. Perhaps I should put you on a watch list with my friends the Feds …

64. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm

Londonshark – You must have been eavesdropping on a Crusaders team meeting !

65. Fern

Just ribbing you lot RP.

66. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Yeah sure you say that now that you want a holiday ! I for one am not convinved !!

67. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Or convinced … damn, I must be still affected by those Martinis at lunch !

68. Fern

RP if you arent convinced then so be it.
I have been from Chch to Auckl would like to do the lower part of the South Island.
No worries,I’ll just go to the “Magic Bus” website.
Stop being a egg

69. wallabie. Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm

those who think the SA team/s will reach the S14 finals…put your hands up.

70. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Fern
You are sure a pouty sook ! In Asia an egg means a foreginer but one has lived there so long they have gone native Yep, that is me !

71. Rugby_Princess Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm

Ok, time to kick back & watch a movie – later

72. Fern

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm

dont give me lip,dont call me sook
you mookface

73. rednik Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm

The 5 metre rule will disapear. After a season of absurdity, the original rules will return. This aussie attempt to Leaguerise union will fail. The League boys opened up the tackling distance to huge fanfare and hype. Rugby Union is a different game.

Watch for more back row moves this year and a greater number of passes from scrums.

I also predict a greater number of tackle incured injuries as the momentum is greater over a greater distance between players.

74. asha1

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm

rugby princess @ 46
ok, so brother-in-law can afford a DBS

… please inform us what sister consider a “hand-me-down”?

75. sondebok Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Cane and all the other Kiwi`s:

As much respect as I have for Edmund Hilary`s achievements, I still can`t help feeling that there must have been sherpa`s and other indiginous peoples that must have scaled Everest prior to Hilary. Please correct me if I`m wrong.

76. sondebok Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm

must have scaled should read might have scaled.

77. wallabie. Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm

“mookface” LOL

78. asha1

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm

sondebok @ 75
of cause there were. they did act as his guides, did they not?

79. smokalot Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm

AH a happy new year to our Wallabie and TheTackler old foes.

2 words for you – World Champions

80. sondebok Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm

78. It just pisses me off that the westerner gets all the fame and plaudits. Tenzing Norgay spent the rest of his life in comparitive obscurity. History will remember Edmund Hilary as being the first man on top of Everest and that is false. History is just a winners account of what happened, and not the truth.

81. asha1

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm

80
they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder meaning that when you’re drunk, even the ugliest **** will look beautiful to you.

same happens to history.

82. greatest13gerber Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm

#80

you need to do some research young one. Edmund WAS THE FIRST to step on that mountain BUT he never publically acknowledged so until Tenzing Norgay passed away in 1986.

There was no issue between the two pertaining to who was first. As for all the fame and plaudits. Both men never wanted it.

83. sondebok Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm

80.How many famous people, that shaped the course of history, were drunks or at least dependant on some kind of narcotic? Winston Churchill, Keith Richards, JFK, Hitler, Pik Botha, Boris Yeltsin, Andrew Mehrtens, the Australian Rugby team, Yuri Gargarin, Nkosazana Zuma…. this could become quite a long list.

84. asha1

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm

83
sondebok???

85. sondebok Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:20 pm

82. You are my research Gerber.

86. carcass Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:22 pm

#85 more like archive

87. peanut Reply to this comment

:
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm

what was Andrew Mehrtens dependent on – other than Justin Marshal?