Springboks scrum coach Daan Human rejects All Blacks’ illegal-scrummaging claims

Daan Human has rejected allegations from All Blacks coach Dave Rennie that South Africa used illegal tactics at scrum time, insisting the Springboks have never been coached to “walk around” their opponents.

Human was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday as South Africa prepared for the third Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

The controversy follows the Springboks’ 33-26 victory over the All Blacks in Cape Town, a result which levelled the series after South Africa had dominated parts of the scrum contest in the opening Test at Ellis Park.

New Zealand’s camp raised concerns about South Africa’s scrummaging approach before the second Test. The Springboks were accused of “walking around” at scrum time, a phrase used to describe moving sideways rather than driving directly forward.

Referee Angus Gardner closely monitored the South African front row in Cape Town and was regularly heard speaking to the Springboks, while appearing to communicate less frequently with their New Zealand counterparts. The scrums were reset several times, with Gardner generally choosing not to award penalties.

Those claims came after South Africa had overwhelmed the All Blacks scrum on several occasions in the first Test at Ellis Park. The build-up to Saturday’s match has therefore been dominated by debate over the legality of the Springboks’ technique, with images and arguments about possible infringements spreading widely on social media.

Human, who has worked within the Springboks set-up for six years, said the suggestion that South Africa deliberately moved around the opposition was not accurate.

“If you say we’re walking around, then we’ve been walking around for the past six years, ever since I’ve been part of Springbok rugby. I’ve never coached that, because we want to go forward,” Human said.

“Walking around is not ideal for us. We don’t want to do it.”

Instead, Human said South Africa’s objective was to establish dominance by keeping the scrum straight and generating force through the middle.

“We try to take it straight through the middle, according to the laws, and show the referee a dominant picture on both sides,” noted Human.

The debate has created additional pressure for Human, but he said that responsibility should remain with the coaching staff rather than affect the players.

“It’s frustrating for all of us, but it’s part of the pressure I need to handle. I can’t transfer that pressure onto the players, that should never happen.”

Human also played down the significance of the public arguments, saying that many of the views being expressed were simply interpretations of what had happened.

“It looks like every second guy is becoming a scrum coach now,” Human said.

“It’s always open to the public, and it’s a good thing that they have an opinion.

“But it’s important for us to focus on what we do and how we do it.”

“It is what it is, let them have their opinions.”

The comments echo South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus’ earlier suggestion that Rennie had presented his view of the Springboks’ scrum as fact when speaking to the media.

The scrum debate is among several talking points surrounding the series. South Africa’s injury concerns have also eased, with four players confirmed for a Test in the USA, while speculation continues over whether Erasmus could produce another surprise selection in the front row for the Soweto decider.