As world rugby powerhouses South Africa and New Zealand gear up for the third match of their landmark four-test series this Saturday at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, a war of words over the Springboks’ scrum play has emerged as the dominant talking point ahead of kickoff.
The series is currently tied at one win apiece, after New Zealand claimed an opening 33-16 victory at Ellis Park, and South Africa fought back to secure a narrow 33-26 win in Cape Town last weekend. The pre-match friction began when All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie raised criticisms of the Springboks shortly after arriving in South Africa a month ago. His first complaint centered on claims that South Africa deliberately slowed the pace of play to neutralize New Zealand’s attack. After the first test, he doubled down on his critiques, alleging that the world-champion Springboks were illegally “walking around” during scrum engagements.
Rennie repeated the scrum accusation following his side’s second-test defeat, prompting an angry, expletive-laced response from South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus during his post-match press conference. On Monday, as Erasmus announced his matchday squad for the third test, he clarified that his frustration stemmed less from Rennie’s mind games and more from the way the unsubstantiated claims were being treated as confirmed fact by media and fans.
“Once you put that narrative out like that, everybody starts focusing on that — all media, all podcasts — and a lot of people have got no real expert knowledge about how scrums work,” Erasmus told reporters. “I would not claim to be an expert on scrums myself, but I do know how our assistant coach Daan Human trains our scrum, and we would never instruct our pack to walk around. That is not how we play the game, that is not our strength, and there is no reason we would start doing that now.”
Erasmus went on to note that he understood the strategic motivation behind Rennie’s comments, acknowledging that mind games are a common tactic in top-level rugby. He added that he holds his own grievances about aspects of the All Blacks’ play, but has chosen not to air those criticisms publicly through the media. Erasmus speaks from experience: he was suspended twice by World Rugby in 2021 and 2022 for publicly criticizing match officials, a penalty that taught him to keep public complaints in check.
Observers of the series have weighed in on the pre-match spat, with former Springboks head coach Nick Mallett noting that psychological tactics aimed at putting pressure on an opponent are standard across elite rugby. Speaking to the *Talking Boks* podcast, Mallett warned that the back-and-forth between the two coaching staffs should not overshadow the historic nature of the four-test series. “Every coach does it,” Mallett said. “You identify an opposition strength, you try to negate it, and you use every tool available — including calling into question whether their advantages are legal. It is a common tactic.”
Beyond the off-field drama, Erasmus has confirmed only one enforced change to the Springboks squad that secured the second-test win. Cheslin Kolbe will shift to fullback to replace injured starting Damian Willemse, with Kurt-Lee Arendse stepping into Kolbe’s vacated wing spot. Erasmus added that Willemse and three other injured backs — Handré Pollard, Grant Williams and Canan Moodie — are expected to recover in time to travel to Baltimore for the fourth and final test of the series next week.
The Springboks have made clear they are entering Saturday’s match with the goal of securing a series lead, rather than settling for a split and heading to the United States for a decisive final match with the series still tied. “We’re desperate to make sure we don’t go to Baltimore to play for a draw,” Erasmus said.