Rennie backs Carter after missed tackles cost All Blacks in Soweto defeat

Dave Rennie stood by Leroy Carter after the Chiefs winger’s two missed tackles contributed directly to Springbok tries in the All Blacks’ 29-24 defeat in Soweto, a result that hands South Africa a 2-1 series lead in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

Carter, who had impressed the previous week in Cape Town, was caught out of position twice in the second half as the Springboks physically imposed themselves and dominated at scrum time to overturn a slow start and take control of the contest.

“The winger misses the tackle out wide, and they score,” Rennie said at his post-match press conference. “I feel for Leroy — he’s a bloody good man and he’s a very good defender, and I’m sure he’s hurting about that.”

The All Blacks head coach was quick to contextualise the errors within a broader defensive structure, explaining that Carter was positioned high in the line deliberately — designed to force the attacker to throw a pass over the top or commit to the ball carrier with cover arriving. “That’s part of a structure about him defending high in the line,” Rennie said when pressed on whether the positioning was an error of judgement.

Rennie also pointed to what followed the scores as equally damaging. “Our job once that score was to bounce back and try and take control of possession, but they were able to dominate the next sort of 10 minutes, and that was pivotal.”

Carter was not without contribution in attack, providing the assist for Will Jordan’s second-half try, but the defensive lapses proved decisive in a game the All Blacks had the opportunity to seal the series.

Despite back-to-back defeats — and his second loss as All Blacks head coach — Rennie insisted the mood in the camp, while sombre, remains focused on a response. “I can guarantee you, the room’s pretty gutted. There’s a lot of heads down, and there’s no doubt our mindset will be to bounce back next week.”