All Blacks forwards coach admits Springboks own the world's best scrum ahead of first Test

All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan has handed the Springboks a frank compliment ahead of the first Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, declaring their scrum the best in the world while arguing his forward pack are moving in the right direction after a promising outing against the Bulls in Pretoria.

Ryan, who has served under All Blacks head coaches Ian Foster, Scott Robertson, and now Dave Rennie on tours to South Africa, is preparing his forwards for one of the sternest set-piece examinations in the sport when the two sides meet at Ellis Park in Johannesburg this weekend.

“We know, and we will acknowledge this week, that they are the best in the world at scrum time,” Ryan told Justin Marshall. “The Springboks, they are, and we’ll acknowledge that. But we’ll also acknowledge that we should hit this game with some confidence.”

That confidence follows a marked improvement against the Bulls after the All Blacks scrum endured patchy outings against the Stormers and Sharks. Props Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax won multiple penalties in the first half, while Siale Lauaki and George Bower maintained their side’s stability after coming on in the second half.

“I think we took a step forward tonight against the Bulls, I really do,” Ryan said. “We’ve worked really hard in the last two weeks as a pack around our reaction time and maul defence, getting set if we’re going to have a crack in the air, and getting a really good platform for our scrum.”

Beyond the set-piece, Ryan identified the breakdown as another area where the contest will be fiercely fought. Anton Segner and Peter Lakai both claimed turnovers against the Bulls, and Ryan acknowledged that the Springboks’ first-phase steal rate demands further attention.

“I think defensively we made some good decisions on when we were going to hunt and when we were going to stay on our feet,” he said. “The attacking side of the breakdown, we’re missing a few inside cleans, so we’ve got a little bit of work to do. First-phase turnovers for the Springboks are exceptional.”

Despite those areas for improvement, Ryan struck a measured but optimistic tone. “There’s some progress. We’ve got a taste of it. I think we’re in a good spot,” he said, adding that the Bulls performance gave his pack a useful reference point for the physicality that awaits them at Ellis Park.