Rugby: De Villiers labels Wallabies scrum cheats

Springboks coach Peter de Villiers says the Wallabies deliberately use negative tactics at scrum time. Photo / Getty Images

CAPE TOWN - Springboks coach Peter de Villiers has lit the fuse for an explosive Tri Nations battle on Sunday (NZT), accusing the Wallabies scrum of milking penalties at the set piece.

The Wallabies scrum, and in particular veteran tighthead Al Baxter, has been maligned for years as a weakness and De Villiers says they deliberately use negative tactics in order to gain parity with their international rivals.

"They will go to ground if they want to and will bring that negativity in," De Villiers told local reporters at a coaching clinic outside of Cape Town.

"They know that they are busy losing, but they will try to milk a penalty from the other side. So we will have to see how we match up to them."

De Villiers is expecting the Wallabies to be a more difficult proposition than the All Blacks, who the Springboks beat 31-19 in Durban on Sunday, a week after also accounting for the New Zealanders 28-19 in Bloemfontein.

"(The Wallabies) definitely give more attention to the lineouts because they play much closer to each other, in channel one and two, before they play across the field," de Villiers said.

"So those little things are important. There is a very big difference to the Wallabies and All Blacks.

"The Wallabies are much more structured. They will keep you busy for much longer as they retain the ball for much longer.

"They play phases to frustrate you much more, they force you to go offside and they have a very good kicker in (Matt) Giteau. "

De Villiers named his side last night, with the coach opting to retain Morne Steyn at first five-eighth ahead of Ruan Pienaar, who has recovered from an ankle injury.

In a spectacular entrance to test rugby, Steyn has missed just two shots at goal and played a succession of starring roles since debuting against the British and Lions in June before seemingly cementing his place in the Boks' starting XV when he scored all 31 points in Sunday's triumph over the All Blacks.

Most pundits believe Steyn is the perfect fit for South Africa's suffocating style of play based on unrelenting pressure which forces the opposition into committing errors and conceding penalties in goalkicking range.

Pienaar - who was forced from the field at halftime in Bloemfontein - will make his comeback via the bench.

- AAP