Leading up to the semi finals of the CC rugby writers are starting to examine the up coming breakdown battles and the influence of individuals like Heinrich Brussouw on the outcome of the battle for possession.

However a lot of this emphasis on the man on man fight for the ball is misleading to the fans and does not really tell the story of the REAL battle for forward dominance on the day.

Top class forwards today are scientifically conditioned both for strength and endurance like never before in the history of rugby union.

Tight forwards are expected to fulfil their primary roles in the set pieces as well as tackle and carry the ball. This means that they should have enough “gas in the tank” to play at the top end of their ability for at least 60 minutes if they are to be substituted, or for the full 80 minutes.

The same “gas in the tank” logic applies to loose forwards. It is therefore logical to assume that their ability to achieve the above is dependant on how quickly they deplete the “gas in the tank”

This leads us to ask the question: How do we put enough pressure on the bodies of the opposition forwards so that we make them “run out of gas” before we do? This, my friends is the key to understanding forward dominance on the day.

Too much is written about the qualities of one loose forward over another, as if they are machines and not human beings who are going to reach fatigue at some point of the game. As fatigue sets in, skills leave the party.

The above is a fact that cannot be escaped from, no matter who the player happens to be.

So, how do we push the opposition into fatigue? In boxing terms, we simply destroy the body and the legs give up the fight.

Let us look at it from the example of a prop, as the same reasoning applies to all forwards: If a prop is made to spend an enormous amount of energy in trying to defend himself in the scrums then sooner or later his ability to run will be compromised. In the same way a loose forward who has to commit himself to a wrestling match every time he gets near the ball, will eventually feel the results in his legs.

In short, the more demanding the physical battle becomes on the body of a forward, the sooner he will reach the reserve mark on his “gas tank”

So when you see a tight forward running like a wing in the last 20 minutes of a game, you need to ask yourself the question: Has he been loafing when it comes to his primary job, or has his pack been so dominant, that the opposition have not put enough pressure on his body?

The role of a tight forward is to physically destroy his opposition number. As a prop forward, I know that the more I make you suffer in the scrums, the less value you will have to your team as the game wears on. This is an area of scrumming that most fans do not get. It is about the “slow poison” that my pack administers to the opposition until they “run out of gas”.