New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie has expressed concerns about South Africa’s scrummaging ahead of the second Test between the All Blacks and the Springboks, scheduled for Saturday night at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Rennie has raised these issues with World Rugby in an effort to curb what he sees as South Africa’s dominance in the set-piece, which played a pivotal role in last weekend’s opening Test at Ellis Park.
Despite being inefficient in attack during the first Test, the Springboks secured six scrum penalties, including a sequence of three consecutive infringements in the second half aimed at overpowering the New Zealand pack. A crucial moment came when South African prop Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised for stepping around the scrum’s outside edge instead of kicking for points near New Zealand’s try line—a decision that shifted momentum towards the All Blacks. Rennie and his team believe that South Africa’s scrum should have been penalised more frequently and have urged officials to enforce the laws more strictly to ensure the Springboks maintain a square scrum.
Due to illness, Nika Amashukeli will not officiate the upcoming test, with Angus Gardner stepping in as referee. Rennie remains optimistic that with tighter umpiring on the scrum, New Zealand will be better positioned to counter South Africa’s pressure. “If they’re forced to scrum square and not allowed to step sideways, then we’ll be able to stay in front and get the footie going off that,” Rennie said.
Springbok prop Thomas du Toit, returning to the squad after a stint with Bath, defended South Africa’s scrummaging approach. He emphasized the team’s commitment to playing within the laws and noted the subjective nature of scrum infringements, stating, "One person’s walking around is the other person’s straight.”
New Zealand’s squad changes for the Test include the addition of George Bower to the front row after a notable impact off the bench last week, and Simon Parker starting at blindside flanker, a position targeted for added physicality. Leroy Carter replaces Josh Moorby on the wing, with Tupou Vaai moving to lock. Absences due to concussion include props Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord.
Rennie highlighted the importance of these adjustments, particularly given the likely physical and tactical intensity of the contest. He noted that half of the 23-man squad participated in last year’s match in Wellington, where the Springboks bounced back from an Eden Park defeat to inflict a record loss on New Zealand. “They will try to do what they did last week, but better,” Rennie said, anticipating aggressive set-piece play, increased aerial attacks, and sustained pressure inside the All Blacks’ 22.
New Zealand acknowledges the need to improve discipline after conceding 14 penalties in the first Test, nine of which came in the first half hour. South Africa’s poor execution in scoring opportunities allowed the All Blacks to remain competitive. Rennie stressed the importance of maintaining possession and playing at a high tempo to disrupt the Springboks’ strategy. “If we hang on to a bit of ball, we have an opportunity to stress them,” he said, underscoring the necessity for accuracy and composure under pressure.