{"id":290737,"date":"2023-09-21T19:38:48","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T19:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=290737"},"modified":"2023-09-21T19:38:48","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T19:38:48","slug":"inside-south-africas-bomb-squad-with-kitshoff-and-malherbe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/rugby-union\/inside-south-africas-bomb-squad-with-kitshoff-and-malherbe\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside South Africa&apos;s Bomb Squad with Kitshoff and Malherbe"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Inside South Africa&#8217;s Bomb Squad: Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are the 260kg fearsome giants the Springboks use to smash tired Rugby World Cup rivals as they come off the bench to f*** a man up&#8217;<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><span>South Africa have enjoyed an impressive start to their World Cup campaign\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>They have beaten Romania and Scotland and take on Ireland on Saturday night<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Their powerful forwards and reinforcements have been key to their success\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news, including fixtures, live scores and results<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe \u2013 all 260kg of them \u2013 are squeezed on to an old sofa talking about biltong and South African vineyards. They are friendly and mild-mannered but their tone changes when the conversation turns to scrummaging. These two are cornerstones of the Bomb Squad and the scrum is their sacred chamber of aggression.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s about going into that mode to really f*** a guy up,\u2019 explains Kitshoff, the loosehead prop who won the World Cup four years ago. \u2018You can\u2019t be passive. Every scrum is a wrestle, a fight. You\u2019re trying to get dominance. A scrum is one of the key indicators to win games. If your scrum is dominant you\u2019re more likely to win the game. Every scrum matters. For 80 minutes, you\u2019re always in that fighting mindset.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Team-mates at club and country, Malherbe packs down on the opposite side at tight-head. Together they have become the dominant force in world rugby, turning the set-piece into their trademark.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018If you don\u2019t get into that mindset then you\u2019re going to go backwards,\u2019 says Malherbe. \u2018They\u2019ll eat you alive. It\u2019s not really a choice. It\u2019s full-on aggression. If the loose-head is in a good position under the tight-head\u2019s chest then you have to stay straight. It hurts your shoulder, neck, spine and legs. it feels like something is going to pop but you don\u2019t know where. You have to remind yourself he is also feeling that so it\u2019s about who gives up first.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Kitshoff compares it to standing at the bottom of a 250kg squat in the gym, holding position for a few seconds as pressure comes at you from every angle. He has one piece of advice: don\u2019t forget to breathe. \u2018You get light-headed, dizziness. It\u2019s pure pressure. If you get stuck trying to fight it, you\u2019re holding your breath just to survive the constant pressure.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75680823-12544475-Frans_Malherbe_is_one_of_the_giants_of_the_pack_for_South_Africa-m-15_1695296014414.jpg\" height=\"885\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Frans Malherbe is one of the giants of the pack for South Africa at the World Cup\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75680713-12544475-image-a-4_1695295668216.jpg\" height=\"410\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>There is an incredible amount of pressure as two tonnes of power push in the scrum<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75680845-12544475-image-m-17_1695296053524.jpg\" height=\"449\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Steven Kitshoff explained it is about having a mindset to &#8216;f*** a guy up&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75681151-12544475-image-a-20_1695296462497.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Kitshoff is required to help his team-mate stretch the shirt over his formidable form\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019ll stand up after a scrum and you\u2019ll see some props take a couple of seconds for that feeling of dizziness to subside, before you can get moving again.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>They talk about \u2018hanging in there\u2019 for up to 30 seconds, as the oxygen supply begins to drop. What about the smell? \u2018Terrible!\u2019 Yet the scrum is not just a foul-odoured arm-wrestle of two-tonne manpower and aggression. It is held together by binds, angles and kinetic forces.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018There\u2019s a lot of things we look at,\u2019 adds Kitshoff. \u2018The speed at which their pack moves, their height, how they bind. Does their scrum collapse? Does their hooker pop out when there\u2019s pressure through the middle?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If Frans plays against a loose-head that likes to take his elbow down then Frans knows the lower he can scrum the more rewards he can get because his elbow\u2019s going to drop. We look at all those things.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Within 15 minutes of clips you can start developing a picture and then it\u2019s just training it on the field. There\u2019s a lot of work that goes in to getting go-forward in a scrum. When you execute it well you get that endorphin spike.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Seamlessly taking over, Malherbe continues: \u2018It\u2019s a bit like a physics lesson. The other big part is how the whole pack scrum together. We talk about the back five \u2013 the locks and the loose trio. It\u2019s a massive that they are committed to the scrum. That lock or that flank is thinking about what\u2019s happening after the scrum: where do they have to go and tackle? Will he have numb legs?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75680915-12544475-image-a-18_1695296165037.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Kitshoff packs down against Scotland and is one of the most formidable props in the world\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If he\u2019s tired he could have a break at the scrum and take a little breather. It\u2019s only his mind that controls that. If you get your back five in a scrumming mindset then I think you\u2019re going to win.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;It\u2019s for them to understand there is reward \u2013 if we don\u2019t get a penalty then the opposition will at least be on the back-foot. If it\u2019s early in the game and the ref lets a 50-50 go then it\u2019s at least in the ref\u2019s mind that \u201cthis pack is dominant\u201d and the opposition know they\u2019re in for something today. It\u2019s really not just the props.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A monstrous scrum has become the USP in South Africa\u2019s dominance. Come and have a go if you think you\u2019re hard enough. They were the first team to stack their bench with six forwards and two backs as Rassie Erasmus formulated a plan of maximum power. Other teams followed suit and against Ireland this weekend the Springboks will go even heavier, with a 7:1 split.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s something that worked very well in 2019,\u2019 says Kitshoff. \u2018The Bomb Squad is still a thing, but teams have started to understand the dynamics and the intensity of the guys we bring off the bench. It\u2019s the last 20 minutes, how can we turn it around? It\u2019s that pure intensity we bring.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75681027-12544475-image-a-19_1695296251233.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Malherbe speaks up the importance of teamwork in the Springboks asserting dominance\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/11\/75678723-12544475-image-a-3_1695291947860.jpg\" height=\"424\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Steven Kitshoff (pictured) and Frans Malherbe are cornerstones of South Africa&#8217;s Bomb Squad<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75678741-12544475-South_Africa_have_started_the_World_Cup_in_fine_form_with_wins_o-a-2_1695294707202.jpg\" height=\"439\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>South Africa have started the World Cup in fine form, with wins over Scotland and Romania<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/21\/12\/75678803-12544475-They_are_the_reigning_World_Cup_champions_after_they_beat_Englan-a-3_1695294707204.jpg\" height=\"384\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>They are the reigning World Cup champions after they beat England in the final four years ago<\/p>\n<p>Malherbe adds: \u2018Last year we played a lot of 5:3 and teams picked a lot of 6:2 against us. Everyone was moaning, complaining, and we went back to 5:3. On the end of year tour everyone went 6:2 against us. The Bomb Squad comes in when it\u2019s 6:2 \u2013 that\u2019s my understanding.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The likes of Kitshoff and Malherbe may not turn heads like Siya Kolisi or Cheslin Kolbe but their set-piece work is a sight to behold.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Guys that know their scrum will enjoy it,\u2019 says Malherbe. \u2018Generally people that want to see backlines running at each other will probably hate it after the third reset. Resets are what irritate everybody, myself as well. They\u2019ll turn the TV off. I think if someone understands what it adds to the game and the ripple effect a scrum can have, then they can appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The physicality really is something to be proud of. To keep that special thing going is a main goal for us with the Boks. There\u2019s a responsibility to keep it up there and protect it. It can easily fade away. When you start to think it\u2019s just going to happen by itself then it will stop.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-12544475\/South-Africa-Steven-Kitshoff-Frans-Malherbe.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside South Africa&#8217;s Bomb Squad: Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are the 260kg fearsome giants the Springboks use to smash tired Rugby World Cup rivals as they come off the bench to f*** a man up&#8217; South Africa have enjoyed an impressive start to their World Cup campaign\u00a0 They have beaten Romania and Scotland and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Inside South Africa&amp;apos;s Bomb Squad with Kitshoff and Malherbe - Sports Life Tale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/rugby-union\/inside-south-africas-bomb-squad-with-kitshoff-and-malherbe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside South Africa&amp;apos;s Bomb Squad with Kitshoff and Malherbe - Sports Life Tale\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Inside South Africa&#8217;s Bomb Squad: Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are the 260kg fearsome giants the Springboks use to smash tired Rugby World Cup rivals as they come off the bench to f*** a man up&#8217; 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