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Scotland captain claims Bok forwards not the most pleasant smelling bunch
By Ian Cameron
Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie isn’t a fan of scrummaging against the Springboks, suggesting that they’re are not the best-smelling bunch.
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The Scots are in a formidable Pool B alongside the two highest-ranked teams in the world, Ireland and South Africa, whom they face in their opening match on Sunday.
If facing the defending champions wasn’t hard enough already, Ritchie says the smell emanating from scrums involving the South Africans are not to his taste.
“I can confirm it doesn’t smell good,” said Ritchie when asked about scrummaging against South Africa at a press conference at the Stade Velodrome on Friday. In defence of the Springboks, it may well be that no Test scrummaging scenario smells good to the Scotland skipper.
Gregor Townsend’s side go into the tournament in good fettle, however, and Ritchie expects them to thrive on the magnitude of the occasion rather than be inhibited by it.
“Definite excitement just now,” said the skipper. “That is why we play the game, these are the moments when you are a kid all of us strive towards and set our goals for.
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“It is important you enjoy these moments and you look forward to them.
“If you let it become fear, the moment gets away from you. The most important thing in any environment is enjoying it and this has to be enjoyed.”
Scotland have pulled off some big results in the past when perceived as “underdogs” but Ritchie believes they are now operating at a level whereby they are entitled to fancy their chances of defeating any side in the world.
“Our motivation is completely internal,” he said. “We have self-belief. We know that if we perform on the day we can beat everyone in this group.
“For us we have done well with an ‘underdog’ tag but to be honest I don’t think we need it. I firmly believe if we perform to the best of our abilities we can win all the games in this group.”
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additional reporting PA
it's the pheromones when one has missed the shower more than 24 hours 😛 no kidding... it's nauseating and worse when your up close in scrums , yuk
If I was coach, I’d request the pack to avoid washing or applying smelling ointments 24 hours before a game.
Looks like the entire nation of South Africa has had a sense of humour bypass
Anything for a headline. What a load of kak!
Stick to sniffing whiskey or yer will smell yer ass
perhaps he is unfamiliar with the smell of testosterone
I wanted to say his frontrow are shitting in their pant ha ha ha
Kak one....
That's usually the smell of the opposition front row shitting themselves😉
Not the kind of mind games I expected to wake up to this morning