Argentina prop Marcos Ayerza backs the new scrum laws despite still getting used to them and believing one or two things need tweaking.
Ayerza will get another chance to experience the changes to the engagement sequence when he packs down against the All Blacks in Hamilton on Saturday.
“Everybody is trying to adapt to the new laws and it’s tough at the moment to adjust,” he said.
“We think we have a lot of work in that department yet.”
However, Ayerza, who has 41 caps, supported the changes in an area of the game that has traditionally been an Argentine strength.
Under the previous rules, he said, scrums became a mess with referees not knowing who was responsible for collapses.
“There are still some other things what have to be looked at, as the hooking, as the throwing-in in the middle,” he said.
“But I think it’s the right way towards a proper contest and a proper pushing contest, which is what scrums are about.”
Ayerza said key issues to come to grips with were getting a good hit with the reduced gap between the front rows and maintaining co-ordination among the eight forwards.
“It’s an amazing challenge to every prop at the moment,” he said.
“They are wracking their brains to get the advantage, be the first to adjust and find the way to beat the opponent.”
The 30-year-old Leicester Tigers loosehead missed Argentina’s 73-13 defeat to the Springboks in Soweto in the opening round of the Rugby Championship.
But he came back from injury in the return match in Mendoza, where the Pumas ran the Springboks close in going down 22-17.
Meanwhile, All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock felt that the New Zealanders made good progress in adapting to the new scrum engagement during their two wins over the Wallabies.
“We got used to it and probably adjusted quicker than the other teams,” he said.
But Whitelock added that the bye had given all sides the chance to put more work into their scrummaging.
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