No scrum, no win: Leinster set to lock horns with the Bulls
ITALIAN REFEREE ANDREA Piardi will have lots of big decisions to make in the URC final on Saturday evening at Croke Park. And it's likely that some of his most demanding calls will come at scrum time.
South African sides have long been respected for their aggressive, powerful, technically strong scrummaging. The Bulls are of that ilk.
And over the last two seasons in particular, Leinster have also emerged as a pack who want to scrummage for penalties. In the past, some Irish sides have primarily seen the scrum as a platform to play off, but that mindset has shifted in Leinster.
Piardi saw more evidence of that last weekend as he refereed their semi-final win over Glasgow, awarding several scrum penalties in Leinster's favour.
'It's something that had frustrated us over the last couple of weeks,' says Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan. 'Playing against Scarlets [in the quarter-final] in particular, we were told when the ball was at the back just to play it, [even] when we were going forward and it was collapsing.
'I think it has definitely been part of our DNA over the last year or two that we want to be scrumming for penalties, getting access [into the opposition 22] that way and playing off the back of a going-forward scrum.
'Obviously, the Bulls have their own threat. They have the best scrum in the league stats-wise, which is what I was told next door… by a South African.
'But that's their rugby. I'm sure they will have a plan to disrupt our scrum and try and get over the top of us and we'll do similar and bring energy to the scrum. I look forward to the battle on Saturday.'
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Leinster's scrum has been more aggressive in the last two years. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Whichever South African told Sheehan about the scrum stats was right.
Data from Oval Insights shows that the Bulls and Leinster are the two best teams in the URC at winning scrum penalties.
The Bulls have won 62 scrum penalties this season and Leinster have won 54.
But the South African side have conceded significantly fewer scrum penalties – 20 to Leinster's 35.
That rate of scrum penalty concessions won't surprise Leinster fans who have watched their pack rather relentlessly go after success in that area. The flip side of being so aggressive is that refereeing decisions can go against you. But play it safe and there is never any reward.
Leinster had a good day at the scrum last weekend against Glasgow as tighthead Thomas Clarkson found favour with referee Piardi, so they'll be hoping for more of the same this weekend.
Tadhg Furlong remains on the comeback trail, so Clarkson and Rabah Slimani look set to go again as Leinster's tighthead duo, while Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher will be the hookers. It remains to be seen how Leinster configure their starting pack, with Slimani and Kelleher's scrummaging qualities surely tempting.
Key man Andrew Porter will start again at loosehead unless Leinster decide to go with the tactic of bringing him off the bench during the first half. Jack Boyle backed Porter up last weekend and could do so again, even if Cian Healy is bidding farewell to Leinster after this game. Leinster scrum specialist Robin McBryde will hope his charges can earn set-piece momentum for their team in this URC decider.
Bulls scrum coach Werner Kruger – who previously played for the Bulls, Scarlets, and South Africa – has some serious firepower to work with. Leinster have felt the force of the Bulls on several occasions in recent years, while the Sharks were on the receiving end in last weekend's semi-final.
Heavyweight Springboks tighthead Wilco Louw is backed up by the assertive Mornay Smith, that duo providing plenty of power on the right-hand side of the Bulls front row.
Loosehead prop Jan-Hendrick Wessels has been one of the most impressive Bulls this season. He made his Boks debut last year and still covers hooker, making two starts there in this URC campaign. The Bulls can call on the dynamism of Alulutho Tshakweni or Simphiwe Matanzima off the bench.
Italian referee Andrea Piardi will be in charge for the final. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Johan Grobbelaar is a consistent operator at hooker, where he competes with the more experienced Akker van der Merwe, who has been capped by the Boks.
All in all, it's a serious front row unit and the Bulls have a huge scrummaging culture that every forward buys into. Bulls flankers don't tend to hang off scrums; their shoulders are to the wheel.
The physical challenge will be similar at the lineout, maul, ruck, and in every carry and tackle. More than anything, Leinster believe that his final is about fronting up.
'I think everything comes off the back of physicality,' says Sheehan. 'You can have the best game plan in the world and it won't go well if your physicality is not right.
'Whereas if you have a poor game plan and get your physicality right, a lot of the time it works.'
And Leinster know the Bulls will be honing in on this element of the URC decider.
'You have to brave and put yourself in front of these big fellas,' says Sheehan.
'They'll try to test you. They'll push buttons. It's chat after the ball goes out, it's rubbing your head in the dirt. But you know, you get that on both sides of the ball and I think people enjoy it. I think fans enjoy it.
'I think when you get it right, it's incredibly rewarding to get a win over a South African team. We've experienced that over the years, so I think it's a good battle and it's a good spectacle and I hope there's good excitement building through the week and we get a good crowd there. I think it will be a good game on Saturday.'
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