Opta have shared an interesting statistic that could be a point of difference in the Greatest Rivalry tour in the coming weeks.
The scrum is a part of the game that at times feels like it is being worked out of the game, but it is a platform that Rassie Erasmus has helped build his side around.
Opta shared the South African scrum dominance in the following statistic:
5 – The five men’s Tier 1 props with the highest percentage of scrums resulting in a penalty won by their side since the 2023 RWC (min. 50 involvements):
26.0% – G. Steenekamp 🇿🇦
24.1% – J. Wessels 🇿🇦
23.6% – W. Louw 🇿🇦
22.4% – V. Koch 🇿🇦
22.0% – E.Genge 🏴
Springboks scrum dominance
The statistic shows that the Springboks win a penalty in one out of every four or five scrums, with most props in their roles being able to come up with a penalty at the end of the scrum.
This scrum dominance felt the most optimal last November when they dominated Ireland in the scrum in Dublin. The match ended with an 11 point win for the Springboks. This didn’t show the full impact of the South African scrum and how they halted the Irish style of play.
This shows that South Africa can be conquered, but an area that Dave Rennie will need to get a platform from is the scrum and the All Blacks can’t afford to give the Springboks a foothold in this area.
