Forward grunt still key to Super 14 success

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FORWARD GRUNT: Blues hooker Keven Mealamu believes the new rules will put a lot more emphasis on the scrum.

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The 2008 Super 14 looks set to unleash a new era of high-scoring, high-speed rugby, but Blues hooker Keven Mealamu will tell you – some things remain the same.

“The basics are still the same, you still need to scrum well and do your lineouts well,” he told RugbyHeaven ahead of their opening pre-season match against a Blues selection side.

The pre-season talk has revolved around the new rule forcing defending backlines five metres behind the scrum - the assumption being that more time and more space equals more tries and faster rugby.

“I think, if anything, it’s going to put a lot more emphasis on the scrum,” Mealamu countered.

“If you put pressure on other scrums and slow the ball down you make it easier for your backline to come up in defence.”

So it will be business as usual when the scrum packs down, but it is the other key role of a hooker that will see some change.

Being able to throw the ball straight or backwards for a quick throw in will probably result in fewer set-piece line-outs as teams look to get the ball back in play quickly.

“I think we can use it to our advantage and having the hooker out of the tramlines gives us more options.

“It’s the way we like to play the game.”

The notion of a lumbering front rower has steadily become an anachronism in the southern hemisphere game and this season looks set to kill off the breed once and for all.

The ‘Stellenbosch’ experiments in domestic rugby last year proved that increased mobility was now the name of the game.

“I talked to my brother who played in the ‘b’ competition last year and he said it was a big change in the speed of the game.

“In the next level I think it’s going to be even quicker."

The Blues went through a gut-busting conditioning programme before Christmas and have focused their off-season training on the new experimental laws.

For Mealamu the preseason has also meant bedding in new front rowers Tom McCartney and Bronson Murray as well as not-so-new recruit Nick White.

He is excited about the new talent coming into the squad and feels they have gone a long way towards replacing the likes of Luke McAlister, Sam Tuitupou, Ali Williams and Doug Howlett.

“The young guys bring a lot of enthusiasm; the skill level is high.

“We’ve got a lot of talent there.”

That’s lucky because the TAB has installed the Blues next to the Crusaders as the 2008 Super 14 favourites.

It’s familiar territory for the Blues but Mealamu concedes it is extra pressure they could do without especially with a tough derby to kick off their season and a challenging trip to South Africa straight after.

“You never want to have the favourites label hanging over your head because the competition is so tough.”

However the prospect of facing the Chiefs first up brings a smile to his dial.

“Neither team wants to lose because it’s just down the road and bragging rights for the rest of the year.

“It’s a great way to kick off the season.”