Rassie Erasmus rejects All Blacks’ scrum allegations after Springboks victory

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has strongly rejected claims from All Blacks coach Dave Rennie that South Africa used illegal scrumming techniques during their 33-26 win in the second Test of the Greatest Rivalry Series.

Erasmus was speaking after South Africa levelled the series at 1-1 and responded angrily when asked about Rennie’s concerns, which had reportedly been raised with World Rugby before the match.

In the build-up to the Test, Rennie questioned the legality of the Springboks’ scrum methods. Erasmus argued that New Zealand had no grounds to suggest South Africa were deliberately walking around the scrum.

“It’s the first time ever in history that people are talking about us walking around. So why would we all of a sudden walk around? The first six scrums New Zealand are at, every single one collapsed, and it was a reset, reset, reset, reset,” he told reporters.

“So why is it only on their ball that the scrum collapsed every single time? So I don’t want to come with that nonsense and say we’re walking around and you try and put those things out in the media. I mean, if I’m starting to put things out, the last line out was skew, and we contested.”

The Springboks coach also pointed to what he believed was inconsistent treatment of head contact incidents during the series.

South Africa lost the opening Test at Ellis Park last week, but Erasmus said his side had not complained publicly despite what he described as several clear instances of head contact. He added that four such incidents had gone unpunished during the first half of Saturday’s match, before Lood de Jager was shown a yellow card for South Africa’s first offence.

“If he’s [Rennie] going to start moaning about stuff like that, then, then pay under pressure,” Erasmus noted.

“Of course, last week we didn’t moan after there was clear head contacts a lot of time.

“And today in the first 40, there was four head contacts, and nothing was done about it. So, and then Lood [de Jager] gets the first one [for South Africa, and is yellow carded].

“So the moment we start moaning, and if you’re only going to clip the part I said now at the end, it’s going to be a hell of a headline, but please don’t do it.”

Erasmus also accused the All Blacks of using media coverage to influence the debate around the series. Before the first Test, New Zealand had raised concerns about South Africa’s slow play, while the All Blacks have argued that the game should be played at a faster pace.

“Don’t try and convince the people through the media, because that’s what happens in the first week. They try to convince the people in the media we’re slowing the game down, and we’re not,” he said.

“So if the referees get caught up by that, then there’s obviously a plan to get that message out. And then we’re not going to stay quiet and just say, oh, you’re right, we’re walking around. We’re not fucking walking around.

“We’re scrumming through. So, you know, we’ve never, ever, ever been accused of walking around. So I don’t understand it.”

The row is likely to become a major talking point before the third Test at FNB Stadium on Saturday, with the series finely poised at 1-1.

Erasmus’ defiance, combined with Rennie’s continued scrutiny of different aspects of the Springboks’ approach, has added further tension to a contest that has already produced a compelling series.