**Angry Springboks Coach Rubbishes All Blacks Claims**
South Africa’s rugby coach Rassie Erasmus has publicly refuted allegations made by New Zealand coach Dave Rennie regarding the Springbok scrum tactics during their recent match. The comments come in the wake of a tightly contested second test in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, where the Springboks secured a narrow 33-26 victory in Cape Town, leveling the four-match series at 1-1.
Following the match, Rennie expressed dissatisfaction with the scrummaging performance, claiming that the Springboks were engaging in illegal tactics, specifically accusing them of “walking around” and pushing straight to gain an unfair advantage at the set piece. This assertion has sparked a robust response from Erasmus, who dismissed Rennie's claims as unfounded.
In his remarks to the media, Erasmus highlighted that the Springbok forward pack has been playing together for an extended period, and he found it perplexing that such accusations were being made for the first time. "We’ve been playing as a pack with these guys together for some time, and it’s the first time in history that people are talking about us walking around,” he stated.
Erasmus pointed out that during the match, New Zealand's scrums frequently collapsed, leading to repeated resets. He questioned why the issue seemed to arise only when the All Blacks were in possession. “The first six scrums for New Zealand, every single one collapsed, and it was just reset, reset, reset. So why is it only on their ball that the scrum collapses?” he asked.
Further addressing Rennie's comments, Erasmus criticized the notion of “walking around” as a tactic, suggesting that it was a distraction from the pressure New Zealand faced in the match. “Don’t come with that nonsense and say, ‘you’re walking around’ and trying to put that out in the media,” he asserted.
Erasmus also pointed to inconsistencies in officiating, referencing a skew lineout from New Zealand that he chose not to complain about. “Their last lineout was skew. I’m not going to moan my arse off about that,” he remarked, suggesting that both teams had moments that could be scrutinized.
The Springboks had previously demonstrated dominance in the scrums during the first test, but in the second test, New Zealand managed to hold their own at the set piece. Erasmus emphasized that the Springboks strive to maintain a straightforward approach to scrummaging. “We scrum straight. We’ve never been accused of walking around. So I don’t understand,” he added.
Looking ahead, the Springboks are set to face the All Blacks again in Johannesburg for the third test next Saturday, followed by a final match in Baltimore, United States, on September 12. This series continues to showcase the intense rivalry between the two teams, with both coaches keen to assert their strategies and perspectives as they prepare for the upcoming encounters.
As the series progresses, the focus will remain on the performance of both teams at the set piece, a critical aspect of rugby that can significantly influence the outcome of the match.