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Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi. Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Boks hooker Bongi calls for 'fair contest' in scrum against Ireland

The South Africans say they want a fair competition in the set-piece.

THE SPRINGBOKS EARNED a crucial scrum penalty try last weekend but they werenโ€™t satisfied with how the battle in that area of the first Test went against Ireland.

Hooker Bongi Mbonambi has called for a โ€œfair contestโ€ at the scrum in the second Test, which will be refereed by Englishman Karl Dickson. 

In the first Test, referee Luke Pearce awarded Ireland a free-kick at a first-half scrum after deciding the South Africans had engaged early.

Pearce upgraded to a penalty when he felt it had happened again in the second half but the Boks finished on top at scrum time, winning a key penalty in the 64th minute and then earning the penalty try in the 78th minute to seal their win.

Mbonambi voiced his frustrations about those early decisions against the Boks.

โ€œIn the first half, we got frustrated because Ireland obviously looked to play a lot of tricks at scrum time, where we just want a fair competition, we want a fair contest at the scrum,โ€ said Mbonambi yesterday.

โ€œItโ€™s somewhere where we definitely have to learn, to train this week and learn our lessons from the previous game. The Bomb Squad did an amazing job and the penalty try was very satisfying for everyone. But thereโ€™s a lot of improvement to be done when it comes to scrumming against them.โ€

Ireland have lost first-choice hooker Dan Shehan to an ACL injury, with Rรณnan Kelleher set to replace him in the number two shirt and Mbonambi expects another set-piece tussle.

a-general-view-of-a-scrum A scrum in the first Test. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

โ€œWith the injuries, itโ€™s part of the game, it happens,โ€ he said. โ€œThe other hooker, Kelleher, heโ€™s quite a good scrummager, heโ€™s more physical, so itโ€™s definitely not going to be easier.

โ€œThey do have a top-class front row and just one injury in the pack doesnโ€™t really make a difference. Weโ€™re expecting a hard challenge when it comes to scrumming but weโ€™ll prepare ourselves and hopefully the scrum will get more rewards.โ€

One of the other areas Mbonambi is keen to nail is the breakdown, where the Springboks gave up five turnovers to Ireland in the first Test.

The 33-year-old hooker said new defence coach Jerry Flannery has been key to helping the Boks understand what Ireland are keen to do at the breakdown.

โ€œWith Jerry coming in, it has helped,โ€ said Mbonambi. โ€œJerry and Duane [Vermeulen] have been trying to improve our breakdown skills. Jaco [Peyper] is also teaching us the laws.

โ€œWeโ€™re looking at things like, you know, when can we counter ruck? When is the ball out?

โ€œObviously, we know that the Irish team is definitely going to come harder than they did at Loftus. I mean, they pride themselves at sort of shortening the rucks, getting to our nine and slowing down our ball. We saw how it impacted our play when they start getting on to Faf [de Klerk] and all that and shortening our rucks.

โ€œWe have someone like Duane whoโ€™s been doing it for years and he knows all the ground skills and also having Jaco Peyper teaching us the laws when youโ€™re onside and when youโ€™re offside.

โ€œAnd also, Jerry is doing an awesome, fantastic job, teaching us exactly how the Irish players attack our rucks.โ€

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:55 AM

    They have little to complain about the ref last week

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:42 AM

    Last Saturdays refereeing left a lot to be required

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    Mute anthony davoren
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    Jul 10th 2024, 7:58 AM

    In other words the Saffies want all the decisions in their favourโ€ฆ.

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    Mute James Rowan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:42 AM

    Interesting comments from this guy last year about white people. Also whatโ€™s with the piped music they play in the stadium? Nikki Minage needed to get the crowd going. Embarrassing!

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    Mute Anthony Curran
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:52 AM

    @James Rowan: Alleged comments. Bongi was cleared. There was no evidence of wrongdoing.

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    Mute Graham Ahern
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    Jul 10th 2024, 10:58 AM

    @James Rowan: the music is a joke alright

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    Mute melissa Pollock
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:23 AM

    Or maybe just focus on avoiding neck rolls and high off-side tackles. Those refs clearly favoured the Boks.

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    Mute Fagin Strauss
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:32 AM

    No doubt the message from Erasmus was to mention the scrums and jaco peyper as much as possible ie we know the rules and wouldnโ€™t cheat. Itโ€™s laughable that this clown is talking about fairness when heโ€™s trying to influence the ref before the game has even started. Iโ€™d be embarrassed if the Ireland coach and team resorted to these pathetic tactics. Thereโ€™s zero integrity in south African rugby with Erasmus at the helm.

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    Mute Eamon Holly
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:46 AM

    TMO was a disgrace for Lowes โ€˜tryโ€™. Our โ€˜offendingโ€™ player was being neck rolled at ruck. The very least that should have resulted was our penalty and we would have had a line out close to the whitewash.

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    Mute Demented Mole
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:53 AM

    The Springboks have never lost a fair fight, everyone know that.

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    Mute graham crosby
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    Jul 10th 2024, 10:16 AM

    Christ, do these SA girls ever stop whinning

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    Mute James Daly
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    Jul 10th 2024, 7:28 AM

    Donโ€™t understand the complaints about the ref. Luke Pearce is a good ref. Doris was giving out to him too much. Be polite and overly respectful and youโ€™ll get the rewards.
    And Iโ€™ve complained before about Whitehouse being overly pedantic. Just unfortunate that he stopped being that way in a game where it could have benefitted us.

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    Mute anthony davoren
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:00 AM

    @James Daly: he was challenging the ref because crucial decisions were being made incorrectly. Maybe Ireland should hire Andy Lacey to explain to the media

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    Mute Andrew Hurley
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:34 AM

    @James Daly: every major decision went against Irelandโ€ฆ one can say there was little in them, I donโ€™t agree, but Pearce set every decision up for SA by his on field decision โ€“ for Kolbeโ€™s there is simply no way he could know โ€“ he could have said try yes or no. Or looked at the neck roll on Kelleher. Doris did nothing wrong, and great to see him playing and defending his team with such passion.

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    Mute Eoin H
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:22 AM

    Thereโ€™s official confirmation of what we always knew, Kelleher is a better scrummager than Sheehan

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Rourke
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:49 AM

    @Eoin H: itโ€™s official now

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    Mute Tom Reilly
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    Jul 10th 2024, 10:46 AM

    The starting SA front row is not going yo do much damage to the Irish one. Malherbeโ€™s best days are gone while Nche has not had the same impact when starting. Itโ€™s the subs on both sides which give SA the advantage.They also have the luxury of being able to call in quality props from any amount of club sides who would not weaken the team. We do not have that luxury and that is our Achillieโ€™s heel.

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    Mute Phillip Keohane
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:52 AM

    The game is over you canโ€™t change the result now,move on to Saturday when we beat them ref and all and we will come on Ireland

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    Mute Carmine Lorenzo
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    Jul 10th 2024, 11:29 AM

    More attempted referee manipulation. Itโ€™s so sad and pathetic at this point.

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    Mute Richard Barnes
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:42 AM

    My favourite โ€œdark artโ€ is watching Porter (our biggest bloke) stand in the goal kickerโ€™s eyeline, then either start walking, bend sideways from the hip, or wave his hands above his head just as the kicker starts his run-up. Never gets pinged. Always worth a goโ€ฆ

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    Mute Brenda Collins
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    Jul 10th 2024, 12:04 PM

    lol. Pot kettle.

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    Mute Stuart
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:59 AM

    Boks Engaging early or the Irish pulling back early, the Irish dark arts in the scrum, Love it ..

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    Mute cian nolan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:52 AM

    @Stuart: Exactly. Not a fan of some of the stuff thatโ€™s come out of the SA camp but nothing wrong with Bongiโ€™s comments here. Porterโ€™s bind is never, ever straight and itโ€™s clearly an attempt to destabilise the opposing tight head.

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    Mute Square
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    Jul 10th 2024, 2:56 PM

    @Stuart: dame lots of moaning in comments from so called irish fans

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    Mute Greg
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    Jul 10th 2024, 11:36 AM

    I think itโ€™s just Malherbe is past it and has been for the past season. Fouche, Louw and Koch all clearly better

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