All Blacks will come hard and fair in scrums against the Springboks

Springbok forward’s coach Matt Proudfoot believes that the scrumming contest against the All Blacks will be a massive but fair challenge when the two sides meet at Newlands on Saturday.

After last week’s 27-27 draw against Australia in Bloemfontein‚ Bok hooker Malcolm Marx suggested that the Wallabies used skulduggery at scrum time to upset the rhythm of the set-piece.

Proudfoot also hinted that the Wallabies used nefarious tactics but was adamant that the All Blacks would present a more honest contest.

“It takes three entities to have a good scrum – us‚ the opponents and the referee‚” Proudfoot said.

“The scrums were a bit untidy (against Australia) and we could perhaps have managed it a little better.

"When the opposition presents you with a problem you need to adapt to it quickly because errors at set phase can cost you games.

“It will be a tough challenge again this week‚ because the All Blacks tend to want to take you on physically with a very settled scrum system.

“They present you with more brutality than tricks.

"That will make it easier for the referee to control because he can make his calls based on dominance.

"Jerome Garces (referee) will be able to make an accurate assessment.

“No one will ever have exactly the same view of the same thing‚ but World Rugby and SANZAAR have done a lot of work and research on the scrum.

“As an old prop I would like to see a ref stamp his authority and personality on the set-piece and not be driven by a ‘picture’‚ because it changes.

“No two scrums are the same when you have two tonnes of weight coming together.”

Proudfoot singled out veteran Bok loosehead Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira for his contribution to the team on and off the field this season.

Mtawarira has been a prominent figure this season‚ with a high work rate as well as strong scrumming with understudy Steven Kitshoff providing good foil from the bench.

“You can’t chuck experience away. The front row is about learning‚” Proudfoot said.

“Every scrum presents you with a different challenge and you only pick that up learning the trade at the coalface.

“Beast is such an integral part of the squad and when he stands and talks people listen.

"Beast is really focused on what he wants to achieve and he has taken on board the perimeters of conditioning and work rate that coach Allister Coetzee laid out.

“When a senior guys sets a high work rate‚ that is leadership.”