Andrew Porter has real confidence in Ireland’s scrum ahead of the Boks clash.
Murray Kinsella Reports from Paris NO SCRUM, NO win. The Springboks have a habit of reminding teams of this harsh truth. The last World Cup final in 2019 was a case in point as they took England apart at the set-piece.
So as they prepare for another brutal battle at scrum time, Ireland can take confidence from that performance. It’s worth remembering that Tadhg Furlong had to go off injured at half time of that game in Dublin last autumn, with Finlay Bealham sent on. Back then, there were still doubts in some quarters about the Connacht man’s ability at the very highest level but he answered them resoundingly and hasn’t let up since.
Porter does point out that it’s not just the props and hookers who decide what happens in the scrums. While he’ll be busy at the scrum, lineout, and maul, there is much more to Porter than just the set-piece. He’s a ball-carrier in the narrow channels and also possesses the kind of slick handling skills that Ireland demand from their forwards.