Showdowngets personal for Bok Botha
Loosehead Steenkamp has won three Super Rugby titles and a Currie Cup with the Bulls, was in South Africa’s successful World Cup squad of 2007 alongside Botha, won a Tri Nations medal in 2009 and picked up a French Top 14 medal with Toulouse last year.
It came as no surprise to Botha that his old friend would be picked for this match. The Munster player knows he has to front up to a heavier opponent but he’s looking forward to it.
“He was a team-mate even at age grade level,” Botha said. “We’re friends, having played in South Africa for a long time. He is quality player and he will be a tough opponent. Off the scrum he is a good ball carrier and gets around the field, but in the scrum perspective what we look at is the pack, the individual side of it is taken out of it.
“It will be a tough battle. The size of their second row, the size of their back row all enables their front row to be aggressive and solid.
“You have to take it all into account. This is why rugby is special because you play against guys you have played with in big teams.
“He was part of the World Cup side and there are things we have achieved together; you think it can’t get any better and then you play against each other and this is what makes rugby special.”
Munster, for the most part this season, have dominated opponents at scrum time, although it’s not lost on Botha that referees can still influence the outcome of matches more than the players themselves.
He was a tad disappointed that a perceived advantage over Leinster last week wasn’t better rewarded.
And so, in a bid to avoid falling foul of match-day referee Nigel Owens, as they surprisingly did on a couple of occasions in the loss to Leinster last week, Botha is hoping Munster can create a clear black and white picture of what’s happening when two heavyweight packs collide.
“I wish we could educate them [referees] on the field but we don’t have that free range,” he said.
“What we want is to create a black and white picture for them and not a grey picture because you get the silly free-kicks and the next scum you’re worried and it takes the momentum out of your scrum.
“It will take time. I’m not saying refs didn’t know what was going on the previous set-up but it’s difficult.
“Unless you have played there you don’t really understand the dynamics and it’s very difficult to understand what the players are doing and the players know that as well.”
However, Botha realises there will be other issues today like the breakdown. And in that sense he is glad to see skipper Peter O’Mahony back on board.
Clearly, he has huge respect for the much younger man, and how he has dealt with the threat of losing out on this huge day for Munster after he stood down for the Leinster match.
“Peter’s versatility speaks for itself, He was always set for that [captaincy] the way he carries himself, the way he showed himself through the age groups as a player and as a team-mate and as a professional.
“He would know now what his body can handle and what it can’t and it’s great to have him back.”
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