Bulls assistant coach Werner Kruger believes the scrum battle will determine the outcome of their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Stormers on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld (5pm).
SA's biggest rugby rivalry will take centre stage this weekend, with the enthusiasm around the match high. About 32,000 tickets have been sold so far; over 40,000 spectators are expected to flock to the 50,000 capacity Loftus kraal.
The North-South derby pits two of the most successful and biggest franchises in SA rugby against each other. When the Bulls and Stormers meet, the games have the feel of international rugby and the intensity and physicality of the matches are usually at a top level.
Kruger, who has been involved in this match as a player and now as a coach, expects the scrums to be the dominating factor and set the tone for the physicality of the encounter.
“The North — South derby is always going to be physical and it’s going to start up front; we are under no illusion that it’s going to be a tough task upfront,” said Kruger this week.
“It doesn’t matter the personnel the Stormers put upfront, their scrum is functioning well as a unit and as a pack. It’s a big challenge for us, and in derbies, it’s going to come down to fine margins. We need our setpiece to function well.
“In some games, we scrummaged well and a little bit inconsistent in others and this is one weekend we need to function well,” he said.
Showers accompanied by thunderstorms are the predicted weather for Saturday in Pretoria. The expected weather conditions make it difficult for teams to assert setpiece dominance with the scrums and lineouts. Kruger, who is the specialist scrum coach, says they have to be tight and keep their feet on the ground when engaging scrums.
“Setpiece-wise and scrum-wise, you have to make sure that your feet are underneath you, you make sure the gap is not too big, the more movement there is the more chance of someone slipping and the scrum going down.
“That’s the same in general play; in those types of conditions you’re not going to be able to throw 20 or 30m passes, so everything tightens up if it is wet.”
Bulls' Kruger reckons scrums will be dominating factor in Stormers clash
'We need our setpiece to function well'
Bulls assistant coach Werner Kruger believes the scrum battle will determine the outcome of their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Stormers on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld (5pm).
SA's biggest rugby rivalry will take centre stage this weekend, with the enthusiasm around the match high. About 32,000 tickets have been sold so far; over 40,000 spectators are expected to flock to the 50,000 capacity Loftus kraal.
The North-South derby pits two of the most successful and biggest franchises in SA rugby against each other. When the Bulls and Stormers meet, the games have the feel of international rugby and the intensity and physicality of the matches are usually at a top level.
Kruger, who has been involved in this match as a player and now as a coach, expects the scrums to be the dominating factor and set the tone for the physicality of the encounter.
“The North — South derby is always going to be physical and it’s going to start up front; we are under no illusion that it’s going to be a tough task upfront,” said Kruger this week.
“It doesn’t matter the personnel the Stormers put upfront, their scrum is functioning well as a unit and as a pack. It’s a big challenge for us, and in derbies, it’s going to come down to fine margins. We need our setpiece to function well.
“In some games, we scrummaged well and a little bit inconsistent in others and this is one weekend we need to function well,” he said.
Showers accompanied by thunderstorms are the predicted weather for Saturday in Pretoria. The expected weather conditions make it difficult for teams to assert setpiece dominance with the scrums and lineouts. Kruger, who is the specialist scrum coach, says they have to be tight and keep their feet on the ground when engaging scrums.
“Setpiece-wise and scrum-wise, you have to make sure that your feet are underneath you, you make sure the gap is not too big, the more movement there is the more chance of someone slipping and the scrum going down.
“That’s the same in general play; in those types of conditions you’re not going to be able to throw 20 or 30m passes, so everything tightens up if it is wet.”