Rennie shuts down scrum saga ahead of decisive All Blacks-Springboks third Test

Dave Rennie declared the scrum debate closed at his Johannesburg press conference on Thursday, insisting he has no interest in prolonging the war of words with Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus ahead of the decisive third Test of the Greatest Rivalry series.

The saga began when Rennie publicly accused South Africa of illegally walking in the scrum during the second Test, a claim that drew a sharp and detailed rebuttal from Erasmus. Former players, pundits and columnists quickly amplified the exchange, turning what started as a technical observation into one of the series’ defining storylines.

Rennie, however, was characteristically unbothered when pressed on it. “If this is about the scrum, I got asked a question in the media, and I said what I thought,” he told reporters. “It’s funny, our game. You can look at all aspects of the game, and what one guy sees happening on one side of a ruck is different to what someone else sees.”

The All Blacks coach also moved to defuse any suggestion of genuine personal animosity with his opposite number. “Rassie and I had a beer immediately after the game, which was good,” he said. “There’s a lot on the line, but I don’t see it as a war of words between him and I. I’ve said a couple of things; he’s said a couple of things. That’s footy.”

When asked whether he felt the Springboks had overreacted, Rennie said he had simply not been following the coverage. “I don’t tend to read anything, so I’m not aware of that. In my mind, I answered a question. I moved on on Saturday.”

After a third attempt to revisit the controversy, Rennie finally closed the door on the topic entirely. “Look, I’m just thinking ‘do I bother giving this more air?’ 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.”

With the series level heading into the final match, the scrum battle on the field is likely to prove far more consequential than the one conducted in front of microphones.