Gareth Hardy is the prototype front-rower for the Wallabies
Hardy well suited to up-tempo plans
26th January 2008, 15:30 WST
Western Force believe prop Gareth Hardy is the prototype front-rower for the Wallabies if new laws introduced for the Super 14 competition are extended to Test rugby.
The versatile Hardy can hold his own at scrum time and his superior mobility and ball skills should be excellent assets in the faster paced games which the rule changes aim to promote.
However, the attitude in South Africa, where the Force play their first three games of the new season, is that might will continue to be right.
The Springboks won the World Cup through a formidable pack which achieved territorial domination and the South Africans reckon the new law moving back-line defenders 5m behind the scrum will lead to damaging back-row moves off dominant scrums.
Stormers assistant coach Gary Gold insisted the 5m rule would be a boon to teams with a solid scrum.
“I think the Aussie thinking behind this ruling is that it would help them, as it does provide more space,” Gold said. “But teams that can dominate in the scrums will have a big advantage and it will be difficult to defend.”
Hardy, the cornerstone of the Force scrum in the first two seasons, acknowledged the importance of a competitive scrum but said the era of the monolith prop was coming to an end.
“The game is going to be faster and it will be interesting to see how some of those big scrummagers go after 60 minutes of running,” he said.
“Look, you won’t be able to get away with a lightweight front row. We’re trying to improve our scrum and we’ve done more work on it this summer than in previous seasons.”
He said retired prop Angus Scott would stay in Perth to pass on his front-row knowledge.
“He’s technically proficient and will be a big help,” said Hardy. “That’s just one aspect of what we’re doing. The tight five is expected to not only be good at scrums and line-outs but we’re also working on passing, catching and getting around the park.
“We’ve been doing more weights to get stronger and more running to get faster. This has been the most intensive build-up to a season I’ve had, especially with extra skills training.”
Not that Hardy lacks when it comes to pace and ball handling. The Bulls were caught out at Loftus Versfeld last year when he clinched the Force’s win with a hard-running try after a memorable passage of interpassing with flanker David Pocock.
DAVE HUGHES
