The Springboks have again spoken out about their scrum positioning after the All Blacks made accusations of illegal tactics.
The dust may have settled on the Springboks’ hard-fought 33-26 victory over the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium, but the off-field battle surrounding the scrum is still heating up.
Following the clash, All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie reignited debates around the legitimacy of South Africa’s scrum technique when he implied that the Springboks were manipulating the set-piece by “walking around” the mark to bore straight through the New Zealand tighthead.
In response, an angry Rassie Erasmus pointed to the opposition’s negative play, accusing the All Blacks of taking a non-engagement approach to intentionally collapse or avoid pushing, thereby denying South Africa their traditional platform.
Now, in what was a clear strategy on Tuesday, the Springboks ensured it was scrum coach Daan Human who turned up for the press conference.
With the Springbok scrummaging being at the centre of the media attention this week, Human refused to be drawn into suggestions that they were frustrated about the manner in which the scrums were refereed last week and he dismissed suggestions that the Boks have been doing anything untoward in the vital set piece.
“Referees need to understand what’s happening in the scrum and they all have a lot of experience,” said Human.
“I actually thought Angus Gardner was very consistent in his decisions last Saturday. What he called for us, he called for them. It was the same story.
“I have respect for him and I’m not going to question his decisions, but also that’s in the past now. This weekend we need to adapt to how the new referee sees it, and if he tells us to fix something we’ll fix it. But I genuinely don’t think Angus refereed differently to how he normally does.”
Asked about the suggestion that the Boks walk around in the scrum, the former Bok prop said: “I can assure you, I have never coached that. We want to go forward, not walk around. Walking around is not ideal for us because it doesn’t give us forward momentum, which is what we want.
“We’re not perfect and things can happen, but if we see something that can be done better, we try to fix it at the very next scrum.
“The scrum is a very important part of our team. It’s part of our culture and this country. There may be different opinions, but it’s not always easy to understand what’s really happening inside a scrum.”
With another big Test between the rugby rivals only a few days away, Human said the focus in the Bok camp was driven by what they want to achieve on the field this weekend.
“Honestly, 80% to 90% percent of our concentration and work is focused on ourselves, and getting better,” said Human.
“We need to acknowledge that they (the All Blacks) have very good backs and a strong pack of forwards. But for us, it’s about improving, not just for this game but going forward.”
This Saturday’s match at FNB Stadium kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
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