The All Blacks have been scrummaging against extra bodies in order to prepare for the might of the Springboks pack this weekend.
That is according to Ethan de Groot, who states they have been training against 10 players in the set-piece as they look to negate one of South Africa’s biggest strengths.
De Groot will start at loosehead and he is joined in the front-row by hooker Codie Taylor and tighthead Fletcher Newell in a formidable-looking trio.
All Blacks bench impact
They also have plenty of talent to come off the bench with Tamaiti Williams, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Tyrel Lomax, who is returning from injury, ready to make a big impact in the second period.
It is likely to be a key part of the game with the referee also under pressure to make the right decisions at the scrum.
The Highlanders prop is very much aware that dominance means little if they are unable to convince the officials that they are doing it legally.
“You just sort of [have] to work with the ref as much as you can, you know, they’ve obviously never been in a scrum and know what’s actually going on in there. You just need to try to paint the best picture possible for yourself,” he told The Country Sport Breakfast.
“Hopefully the ref isn’t giving it the John Travolta, putting his arm up too much, but yeah, hopefully we’ll have him on our side this weekend.
“You don’t want to lose the ref early in the game because it sort of paints a bad picture of yourselves.”
While the scrum has been the cornerstone of the Springboks’ game over the past few years, helping them to back-to-back world titles, the All Blacks have also developed a hugely impressive front five.
New Zealand have struggled for fluency in attack over the past year, but one thing which has often worked well is the front-row.
All Blacks’ incredibly effective scrum
Under the guidance of forwards guru Jason Ryan, the All Blacks have turned the scrum into a weapon and they will hope it is just as effective this weekend.
Although the Springboks set-piece is the biggest test for an opposition prop, De Groot insists that they have certainly put the work in to make sure they are ready for the challenge.
“She’s been a good old battle and [there’s been] plenty of load through the body this week,” he added.
“Sometimes scrums can win you the game, so big moments, big momentum shifts. We see our scrum as a bit of a weapon and when we can turn it on, hopefully we can get the result.”
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