Wallabies confident with improved scrum
Wallabies confident with improved scrum
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Sio, who had missed the South Africa Test at the start of the Championship due to injury, said there was a reason for the improved showing.
Time together and the development of combinations had been significant.
He told rugby.com.au, “Fortunately for us, ‘Slips’ and myself have partnered well at Brumbies level, Folau and Tolu have known each other for a long time at Shute Shield and Super Rugby level and I have played with ‘Keps’ and Taniela, and ‘Slips’ also had that relationship with Taniela up at the Reds.
“Building that combination was really easy for us and luckily it is quick, and luckily it all gelled at the weekend. It was a good performance but something we need to build on coming into the [Bledisloe] games,” he said.
It was important for the Wallabies pack to maintain a high-level of performance to destroy the notion of Australia having a weak scrum. They had performed well in that department at the 2015 World Cup and Sio felt they were building to that sort of height again.
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READ ???? https://t.co/rFm6AosJHG#BACKBLACK pic.twitter.com/eDs83xc0Mv— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 1, 2019
“It is a reputation that is forever being criticised, one way or another, so in every game and every scrum you need to be on and be consistent to make sure the conversation is the one you are after.
“It’s a good foundation to build off but I know for us to progress and win throughout the year, we need to go up another level,” he said.
Mid-season camps during the Super Rugby campaign had also benefited the connection between the players.
“You don’t get a lot of time post-Super Rugby to gel, so being able to have met up at least three times during the season has given us the opportunity to build that rapport among one another,” he said.
While there was competition for places, there was also a common goal and they realised that was more important.
“Laying that foundation early, and through the season, is a big stepping stone towards us looking to achieve what we want to,” he said.