Can France stop the Springboks’ maul at Stade de France?

The Springboks’ maul remains one of the most important pieces of their arsenal.

South Africa are making full use of their power and the new World Rugby guidelines.

Can an injury-stricken France defuse the driving maul in their Nations Championship clash on Friday?

How the Springboks mauled Italy in Turin

South Africa thrashed Italy in Round 4 on Saturday, leading 45-0 at the halftime break.

A major component of their ruthless attack was the driving maul.

As cited by South Africa Rugby, this set piece was the platform for four tries against the hosts.

The match ended in a thumping 66-7 win for the Springboks, who are chasing the inaugural Nations Championship title.

When Italy did stop the rolling maul, Morne van den Berg breached the defensive line instead, according to KickOff.

This may be a warning sign for France ahead of the game at Stade de France today (13 November).

Effectively, Coach Rassie Erasmus’ tactical brilliance means closing one door just opens another.

World Rugby changeS the game for mauls

In June, World Rugby published a Law Application Guideline on the driving maul.

This was in response to concerns about the difficulty of refereeing, managing, and even explaining the set piece.

The rugby body said it aimed to ‘clear up those messy situations when the contest for possession/space has been won’.

In essence, the maul has become a contest of timing and momentum, instead of the previous free-for-all.

Rassie seems to have immediately latched onto the new guidelines to make the driving maul even more potent.

As cited by Planet Rugby, he said the maul could be a strength for all teams:

“So well done to World Rugby. When it was seven- or eight-man mauls, in the past you could stop it with the four going around and dragging the maul back. Then there was no space for the backs to attack, but now you have to commit to the maul and the vacuum is open.”

Can France contain the Springboks’ maul?

French coach Fabien Galthié is already aware that South Africa’s top set piece is delivering results.

The last time the two giants met, the Springboks’ maul played a crucial role in their 32-17 win over France.

With few options for stopping it, Les Bleus were penalised repeatedly for dragging the maul down illegally.

The Springboks’ XV remains focused on power, and the driving maul is sure to be used as a primary weapon.

France, meanwhile, head into the contest with a team depleted by injuries.

As reported by SuperSport, Les Bleus have recalled several veterans, including experienced hooker Julien Marchand.

RugbyPass lists Emmanuel Meafou, Thibaud Flament, Demba Bamba, Marko Gazotti, Oscar Jegou, and Anthony Jelonch on the forwards injury list.

Galthié has also switched Antoine Dupont to flyhalf to cover for injuries among the back line.

Romain Ntamack dislocated his shoulder in the 54-17 win over Fiji on 7 November.

For France, finding an answer to the Springboks’ maul remains the big question.

Fixture details

France vs South Africa – 13 November, Stade de France, Saint-Denis (21:10)

CAN FRANCE STOP THE SPRINGBOKS’ MAUL, OR WILL THEY TRY TO TURN THE TABLES?

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