'It’s now up to the referee': Rennie puts scrum battle in officials' hands
VIDEO: All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie insists referee Nika Amashukeli will have a key role to play in officiating the scrums in the third Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
Rennie revealed his matchday squad on Thursday, making a handful of changes to the side that went down 26-33 to the Springboks in Cape Town last week.
Asafo Aumua will start at hooker in place of tour captain Codie Taylor, while Sam Darry starts at lock, with Fabian Holland moving to the bench.
Rennie has opted for a heavy front row in Tyrel Lomax, Aumua, and George Bower to counter the Boks’ firepower during scrum time.
The scrum has been a major talking point over the past week and could prove crucial in determining which way the momentum swings.
After the Cape Town loss, Rennie accused the Boks of ‘walking around’ in the scrum, prompting Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to rubbish those claims during a lively media conference.
Bok scrum guru Daan Human also weighed in on the conversation this week and dismissed accusations that the Boks are gaining an advantage illegally.
Rennie, however, believes he was within his rights to air his grievances in the media, considering the communication protocols World Rugby has put in place.
“If it’s got to do with the scrum, I’ve got to ask the question in the media,” he said.
“I said what I thought, and it’s funny with our game; you can look at all aspects of the game, and what one guy sees happening on one side of the ruck is different from what someone else sees.
“It’s a competitive environment; we are certainly not going out of our way to create narratives and things like that.
“Rassie and I had a beer immediately after the good game. There’s a lot on the line, I guess, but I don’t see it as a war of words between him and me.
“I’ve said a couple of things, he’s said a couple of things. That’s footy.”
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Rennie added that the All Blacks had raised their concerns with the officials after sending in clips from the match.
He added that he was aware of Erasmus’s reaction after the game but wasn’t privy to further talks in the public this week.
Asked to elaborate on what he meant by the Boks ‘walking around’ in the scrum, the All Blacks coach opted to put the focus firmly on the match officials.
“I was aware there was a reaction post-game; I’m not aware there’s been more of that going on during the week.
“My mind is set. I answered a question, and I moved on on Saturday.
“I’ve made comments, we’ve shared stuff with the officials, and I think the Springboks have done the same thing.
“It’s now up to the referee and his support staff to referee what he sees in front of him.”
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While the scrum will be a hotly contested battle in Saturday’s showdown, the All Blacks have also placed a heavy focus on the high-ball threat posed by the Boks.
In Cape Town, the Kiwis took some time to compete effectively in the air, with Ethan Hooker and Cheslin Kolbe reclaiming several box kicks.
It’s an area Rennie says they’ve focused heavily on ahead of Saturday.
“We’ve done a lot of work on it,” he said.
“What we showed on the weekend is that when we’ve got it right, we can be pretty lethal. The key thing is us winning a lot more of that ball in the air.
“They are very good in that area, and we know they’re going to put a lot more up. It’s been a focus the whole time I’ve been involved; we’ve got to be better.”
