Du Toit declines to join Rennie’s scrum row before second Test

The Springboks and All Blacks will renew their scrum battle at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with South Africa prop Thomas du Toit refusing to be drawn into Dave Rennie’s criticism of the set-piece.

The match is the second Test in the Greatest Rivalry Series, and the scrum has been one of the main talking points in the build-up after South Africa gained an early advantage in that area during the opening match at Ellis Park.

However, the Springboks were also penalised at a crucial moment in the second half of that game. With South Africa attacking five metres from the All Blacks’ line, replacement prop Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised by referee Matt Carley.

The decision proved to be one of the match’s key turning points, with New Zealand appearing to gain fresh momentum afterwards.

Former Springbok hooker Hanyani Shimange believes the scrum should instead have been reset.

Speaking on the Verdict Podcast, Shimange said Steenekamp had remained connected to the hooker throughout the engagement.

“In my opinion, [Steenekamp] stays connected to the hooker. He’s connected to Malcolm the whole time.”

“That’s a reset, because if you look on the other side, [George] Bower actually gets underneath [Wilco] Louw, so the scrum actually turns like that. It’s not forward dominance from New Zealand. That, for me, is a reset, if anything,” Shimange said.

Rennie, who leads New Zealand, said this week that his team had raised concerns with World Rugby about certain aspects of South Africa’s scrum.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said: “We think if they’re forced to scrum square and not be able to step sideways and walk around us.”

Du Toit faced the media later that day but chose not to engage with Rennie’s comments. Known as ‘The Tank’, the Springbok prop said South Africa’s approach was to operate within the laws of the game.

“I can’t really make any comments on what Dave Rennie has spoken to World Rugby about, but we try and stay within the laws of the game as much as we can and as much as we perceive it,” Du Toit said.

He acknowledged that scrums can be interpreted differently by the two sides involved, while also defending the difficulty of the referee’s role.

“There are always two sides to the coin. One person sees one thing, one person sees another thing.

“So one person’s walking around as the other person’s straight. Something happens on the other side of the scrum as well.

“The ref can only blow what he sees in front of him. So much credit has to go to the referees and the way that they see these things. They try and see everything, and it must be so difficult to get that part right.

“In hindsight, everything is easier to look at. Yes, you could probably make a case both ways.

“As far as what New Zealand are speaking to the refs about, we just try and focus on what we do well and hopefully get reward for it,” Du Toit said.

The scrum is therefore expected to be central once again when the teams meet in Cape Town. With both camps offering differing views on the legality and interpretation of the contests, the second Test promises another closely watched chapter in the rivalry.