Rennie concedes Springbok scrum dominance after All Blacks fall 29-24 in Soweto

Dave Rennie conceded that the Springboks earned their rewards at the scrum after the All Blacks fell to a 29-24 defeat against South Africa at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, with the home side’s front row proving too powerful for the visitors throughout the contest.

Having been notably outspoken on South Africa’s scrum tactics in the lead-up to the match, Rennie offered a notably brief assessment when pressed on the subject in the post-match press conference. “They got rewarded for dominance at times, so no issues with that,” the New Zealand head coach said.

The Springbok pack were back to their most destructive after a more competitive scrum battle in Cape Town. New Zealand’s front rowers George Bower and Fletcher Newell each conceded two penalties, while Tyrel Lomax and Xavier Numia added one apiece. The damage was most vividly illustrated in the 36th minute, when a penalty try levelled the scores during the critical five-minute window before halftime.

Rennie had already signalled his intention to step back from the scrum debate at his team-naming press conference on Thursday, telling reporters he was no longer willing to give the topic airtime. “I’ve made comments, we’ve shared stuff with the officials, and 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,” he said.

Stand-in All Blacks captain Luke Jacobson offered a more measured take on his side’s scrum performance. “Look, I think we laid down some good scrums there. There was obviously the one that they scored off, which dented us, but I thought it was competitive,” he said. “The Springboks probably got a little bit too much momentum there, as they did in one of those lineout mauls.”