De Villiers to boost Bok scrum
Former France prop Pieter de Villiers will work with the Springbok pack ahead of their Test on Friday.
The Bok first XV only fly out on Tuesday evening, and in training sessions early this week, De Villiers will work on their scrummaging as they expect an onslaught from the French pack.
De Villiers retired in April last year, and despite moving to Cape Town at the start of this year, he still knows the French players well. Sylvain Marconnet – who has been named on the bench for the Toulouse Test – is De Villiers’ good friend, and he should be able to give real technical insight.
The 69-times capped player rates Marconnet as one of his toughest opponents at the set-piece (Marconnet can play both sides of the scrum), and believes scrumming in France is taken more seriously compared to South Africa.
‘Scrummaging is very different there, there’s more emphasis on it,’ De Villiers told keo.co.za earlier this year. ‘It’s about the duel of it, the me against you aspect. You can often play a second division prop and have a very tough day.
‘In South Africa there was more emphasis on team effort rather than personal skills involved in scrumming. In France it was a pride thing involving the individual, while there is also more focus on technique rather than size.’
November 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am
french dragon
November 9th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Good. This guy can help.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Why not get Os to help? He has proven himself as a scrum coach and knows our players
November 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
It’s a sad day when the once revered Springbok scrum has now totally fallen apart.
When are the selectors going to realise that you need specilists in cetain positions and that you cannot have hookers playing tighthead, looseheads playing tighthead or srumhalves playing flyhalf etc.
In this day and age you will get exposed and you will pay the consequences.
Wake up now before to much damage is done to the once proud Springbok scrum!
November 9th, 2009 at 11:47 am
If Pieter de Villiers really wants to help he should be sent off to Dr. 90210, have facial re-constructive surgery and take anyone of our props places.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
All insider info will be powerful – Beast , Bis , John have had a break now , i think they will be more focused on the trial ahead , especially on how all the focus has been on the demolition of the Bok scrum by Leciester …. I will gaurantee you that the Boks scrum will be up for the challenge this weekend – a wake up call is not necessarily a bad thing !
November 9th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
The problem with our scrum is simple. We only ever have 2 people scrumming in the front row. The hooker is always at Joosts place.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
#7 Oubaas2009: HAHAHAHA!!!!!!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
am i the only one that thinks this is a bit dodgey?
so his close friend is in the french squad, who is spying on who here? sure the oke is from the weskus, but he played for france for years, where is his real loyalty, or is he chasing the ca$h and a free trip to france?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
#3 charliecharlie: I agree Charlie – In Os we have a double World Champion and one of the legends of Springbok rugby. He came into the Cheetahs setup and turned their scrum into the best scrummaging outfit in the Currie Cup. Having a guy with his experience in the squad would be invaluable for the youngsters that have come on tour.
Instead we ask an ex French test player to teach the SPRINGBOKS how to scrum?????
November 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I’m waiting for “de Villiers to help Bok midfield”
November 9th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I think it’s obvious Gary Glitter needs to go on vacation. Our scrum has been in kak since he joined the Boks.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Pieter to coach the Tightheads… Os to coach the Looseheads.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
#4 : lol you make out like our side is so kak.
Put some perspective into it, if our srcum was as bad as this all makes it out to be, we would not be dominating world rugby as we currently do.
Yes there is massive room for improvment but harldy a crisis.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
#12 goyougoodthing2: he must bring in Proudfoot – the WP forwards coach – now that man knows how to get a forward pack hunting together and scrumming well.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:38 am
#15 SjamBok: I’m a total Soutie, but I have to admit, the Crunchy scrum coaches is are ve beste.
Get Balie Swart, Os and the white PdV to work wiff the scrum, our Irish adventurer, Gert Smal, to work with the lineout, Rassie at the breakdown and Gary Gold as a technical and strategic advisor. I think any forward woes would cease if they had a couple weeks at a training camp with them. Rudi Straeuli wouldn’t be invited though, unless he agreed to put the electrodes on his nipples this time…
November 10th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Scrums are not as important as they use to be. Very few referees are able to properly judge what’s happening in the scrum. Quite often a dominating scrum is almost as penalized as their opponents.