There is more to the scrum than just trying to pulverise people, says Springboks' Wilco Louw

Wilco Louw has a reputation as the Springbok with the fiercest handshake. Rumour has it people would rather greet him with a kiss on the lips than risk having their hands crushed.

Being on the receiving end of a Louw handshake is probably what opposition loosehead props feel when they pack down against the big tighthead in a scrum while he wears the green and gold.

Louw has been a destructive force when coming off the bench for the Boks in the Rugby Championship this season. In both Tests against the All Blacks, he had their pack on skates.

Nicknamed “The Fridge” when he first came through the ranks at the Stormers, the powerfully built Louw has relished his cameos off the bench as part of the Boks’ famous “bomb squad”.

“Coming off the bench, I have a certain role to play. My first job is to scrum and maul,” Louw told the media yesterday ahead of the Springboks’ Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Durban on Saturday.

“All of us have our roles and responsibilities, and we want to get dominance at set-piece. That is my main job — to enjoy it, and then play some good rugby.”

As Louw suggests, everyone in the pack has their duties. The scrum, after all, isn’t a one-man show.

Obviously, being a powerhouse in the front row is essential, but there are also numerous technical aspects in the bigger machine that contribute to a dominant scrum.

“It’s a bit more technical than just trying to pulverise the player in front of you. It’s about making sure our systems are in place and being in a position to execute the plan,” said Louw.

“The scrum is an interesting thing. It’s not just one guy who makes the difference — it’s all eight. Everyone needs to be in sync, have the same mindset, the same plan.

“Working with (scrum coach) Daan (Human) is a massive privilege. He is really good at what he does, getting the boys to focus on a certain goal. So it’s more than just thinking: ‘I’m going to go forward’.”

Louw forced his way back into the Bok team at the end of 2024 after a fantastic season with the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship. He has maintained that form this year and become a key player in the front row.

His return to South Africa from Harlequins in England is something he says has lifted his game after previously featuring for the Boks in 2021.

“I came back to the Bulls from Harlequins and have been enjoying my rugby. That has been the most important thing,” said Louw.

“It’s not like I didn’t enjoy my rugby at Harlequins, but being in South Africa and playing at the Bulls, where everyone has the same mentality and focus in the scrums, has been great.

“It’s been a good season, and when you enjoy it, it motivates you that much more. It’s a massive honour being in the Springbok squad and testing yourself against the best in the world.”

Argentina will certainly test the Springboks on Saturday at scrum time after learning some hard lessons against the Boks in 2024.

In both clashes against South Africa, Argentina found themselves on the back foot. But this year they have improved, and have won a plethora of scrum penalties against the All Blacks and Wallabies in their previous matches.

“I wasn’t involved in those two games, but the Springboks had a really good scrum last year. If you look at the Rugby Championship this year, though, Argentina have won a few penalties against New Zealand and Australia,” said Louw.

“They will be up for it on Saturday. They’ve focused on their scrum and improved it quite a bit. It’s going to be a tough battle, and no-one will give an inch when it comes to the scrum this weekend.”