Springboks Hooker Calls for “Fair Contest” in Second Test Against Ireland
Durban, South Africa – In the lead-up to the second Test between the Springboks and Ireland, Bongi Mbonambi, the experienced South African hooker, has voiced his concerns over the tactics employed by the Irish pack during the opening match at Loftus Versfeld.
Heading into the first Test, many expected the Springboks to dominate the set-pieces, particularly after the Bulls’ dominant display against Leinster in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals. However, the reality on the pitch was quite different, as Ireland managed to not only achieve parity but also outshine the Boks in the scrum for large portions of the game.
“We had quite a good chat yesterday with Daan [Human] and the whole pack, and in the first half, we got frustrated because Ireland looked to play a lot of tricks at scrum-time,” the 33-year-old Mbonambi revealed in a press conference following the Springboks’ team announcement for the second match.
The Springboks hooker went on to emphasize his desire for a “fair contest” in the scrum, stating that this is an area the team has focused on improving ahead of the Durban encounter.
“Where we just want a fair competition. We want a fair contest in the scrum, and it’s somewhere where we definitely have trained this week and learned our lessons from last week.”
While the Boks initially struggled in the set-piece, the introduction of their renowned “Bomb Squad” – the replacements front rowers Gerhard Steenekamp, Malcolm Marx, and Vincent Koch – proved to be a game-changer, as they wrestled back dominance in the scrum, culminating in a penalty try that all but sealed the win for the home side.
“The Bomb Squad did an amazing job coming on, and that penalty try was very satisfying for everyone,” Mbonambi added. “But there is a lot of improvement to be made from us when scrummaging against them.”
As the two sides prepare for the second clash, Ireland have been hit with several injury concerns, with Craig Casey, Robbie Henshaw, and Dan Sheehan ruled out. However, Mbonambi is wary of the threat posed by Ronan Kelleher, Sheehan’s replacement, who he described as “quite a good scrummager” and “more physical.”
“They do have top-class front rowers, and just one injury in the pack doesn’t really make a difference, so we are expecting a very hard challenge in the scrums,” the Springboks hooker concluded. “We will prepare ourselves, and hopefully, this coming week, we will get more rewards.”
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