Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett believes tighthead prop Wilco Louw’s impact up front has been reduced by the way the scrum is now being officiated.
Louw earned a reputation last year for coming off the Bok bench and almost immediately winning scrum penalties.
The 31-year-old was not selected for the Boks’ opening Test of the 2026 season against England at Ellis Park before starting against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld. However, he was replaced early in the second half by Zach Porthen.
Speaking on the Talking Boks podcast, Mallett said changes in the way referees manage the scrum have diminished the value of dominant scrummagers such as Louw.
“I think the problem someone like Wilco Louw is going to have is that, with the new laws, scrummaging isn’t the force it used to be,” he said.
“We used to say we’d win six penalties in any Test match because we had such a dominant scrum.
“The referee would give us the penalty and then advantage, so if we didn’t score we could come back for the kick.
“Now it seems World Rugby wants referees to get the ball away. If it gets to the lock’s feet, they tell the No 8 to play it, even if the scrum collapses or wheels.
“So a really strong scrummager is now going to be judged on how well he moves around the field, carries the ball, gets off the ground and makes tackles.
“It’s becoming a much faster game. I think World Rugby wants rugby to move towards the way France, New Zealand and Scotland play. They don’t really want South Africa dominating through driving mauls, scrum penalties and contestable kicks.”
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Mallett believes that shift in emphasis plays into the hands of 22-year-old Porthen, who made his Test debut on the Boks’ 2025 end-of-year tour and earned his fifth cap at Loftus on Saturday.
“If referees aren’t going to reward dominant scrums – which is a pity because we’re the best in the world in that area – then someone like Zach Porthen is going to become absolutely invaluable for the Springboks,” he said. “He’s like another loose forward playing tighthead.”
Mallett added that Porthen’s transformation since his Junior Boks days has been remarkable.
“At U20 level he was really a poor scrummager. You looked at him and thought he was a No 8.
“He was a great ball-player, he could tackle anyone and carry the ball all over the field. But the moment he put his head into a scrum he was collapsing, his backside was going up in the air and he was getting pushed backwards.
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“Coming to the Stormers, where Brok Harris did a wonderful job with him against some very competent loosehead props, gave him a kick-start.
“Then he got into the Springbok system and did very, very well.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
