Springboks prop Thomas du Toit has hit out at those who are trying to depower the scrum, which would take away one of his team\u2019s greatest weapons.<\/b><\/p>\n
South Africa have based their back-to-back World Cup triumphs on the strength of their set-piece and it remains a crucial part of their armoury.<\/p>\n
While Rassie Erasmus\u2019<\/a> men have expanded their game since the 2023 global tournament, they have continued to dominate up front.<\/p>\n Du Toit has played a massive role in that, but his influence could be reduced if World Rugby<\/a> seemingly have its way.<\/p>\n World Rugby\u2019s law amendment<\/p>\n The governing body introduced a law which prevented sides from taking a scrum if a free-kick had been awarded.<\/p>\n World Rugby have therefore faced accusations, particularly from Springboks<\/a> fans, about trying to take away the world champions\u2019 biggest strength.<\/p>\n \u201cDepowering the scrum, I find it strange because it\u2019s like a slap in the face for the players who\u2019ve been working incredibly hard to get that result,\u201d Du Toit told the Times.<\/a><\/p>\n Despite World Rugby\u2019s attempts to make the scrum less of a factor, the Boks showed that it can still be a key aspect of the game when they dominated Ireland up front last month.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not something that was given to us. Ireland, or whoever we played, didn\u2019t decide that they were going to go backwards in the scrum,\u201d the Boks prop added.<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t come over the course of a day or we snapped our fingers and it happened. We\u2019ve been grafting for years. Training sessions are brutal. They\u2019re more difficult than the games for us.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that we\u2019ve got it right a couple of times, people go, \u2018No, you can\u2019t have that.\u2019 I find that strange. The biggest thing to understand is it\u2019s not just given to us. I can promise you every team-mate of mine will testify to the fact that it\u2019s really earned.\u201d<\/p>\n South Africa and Ireland have had their battles over recent years, with a rivalry building as they became two of the best teams in the world, but Du Toit insisted that it did not make it extra sweet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not because it was against Ireland. The opposition really doesn\u2019t matter. It\u2019s just the fact that we were clicking and everything was working and going our way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s working towards this common goal and when you see it happen, you\u2019re ecstatic about it \u2014 that\u2019s the rewarding part.\u201d<\/p>\n Planet Rugby Readers\u2019 Team of the Year: Lions SNUBBED, Springboks dominate and one All Black features after 40,000 votes<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Brilliance for Bath<\/p>\n Du Toit\u2019s elevation to the Springboks starting line-up has been helped by his form for Bath. The tighthead has been exceptional since moving to the West Country in 2023, but he will move back to the Sharks at the end of the season.<\/p>\n