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Springboks
Argentina
What exactly is the 'Bajada'?
Wednesday, November 02
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On Saturday in Buenos Aires, the Springbok pack will come up against a snarling, spitting opposition unit with a deadly technique in the art of scrumming. Quietly they set themselves for the engage, with strange bindings and innovative manouevres.
Jake White explains exactly what the world famous 'Bajada' scrumming technique is... "They have a very unique way of binding," White explained to the media.
"The locks don't bind through the legs, like our teams do. They are the only side in the world where the locks bind with their arms around the props waists.
"There is not too much different in their scrumming physics in that they like to push forward. But for them all the power in directed into the hooker. In other words, they scrum along an imaginary arrow drawn pointing inwards from either side of the No 8, which means all the power is directed towards the hooker.
"This is why they tend to have such big, strong, scrumming hookers. They have also often played with three props in the front row. They concentrate very hard on their technique when they scrum and are very quiet when they go into it."
While all the focus in the week has been on how to counter the threat posed by the Pumas pack (and the considerable size of hooker John Smit is central to this), there has never even been an inkling of a thought that the Boks would adopt a similar technique.
"It will never happen," he said. "It would require a complete change of mindset through all levels of our rugby. We have a way of binding and the players have been doing it that way since they were schoolboys. They are not going to change now."
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However, in the words of Federico Mendez, "It's a name for 'co-ordinated push'. The technique was developed in the 1970s by an engineer."
Apparently Robbie Kempson said its core principles are breathing and teamwork, and getting the timing for the secondary shove right when the opposition team relax.
So, silent, focussed, AND breathing...quite a frightening thought facing up to those okes! Rather you than me Os!