Dave Rennie has conceded that World Rugby disagreed with the All Blacks' interpretation of the scrums during the third Test in Soweto, where the Springboks secured a 29-24 victory to take a 2-1 series lead in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.
Speaking in a media call from Washington ahead of the Baltimore decider, Rennie acknowledged the gulf between his team's assessment and that of match officials. The Springboks won five scrum penalties at FNB Stadium and were awarded a pushover penalty try in the 36th minute, with referee Nika Amashukeli of Georgia enforcing the setpiece far more strictly than Angus Gardner had in the second Test.
"Clearly our view and the view of World Rugby and the officials is different, and so you just gotta deal with it," Rennie said. "They don't see it the way we do, and they're the ones that matter on game day. We'll have to be better."
The All Blacks' scrum woes have become the defining narrative of the series. In the third Test alone, front-row quartet George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Tyrel Lomax and Xavier Numia conceded six scrum penalties in addition to the penalty try. Senior assistant coach Neil Barnes described South Africa's set-piece as "pretty damn dominant" and admitted his side had been on the wrong end of a "gravy train of penalties."
Set-piece superiority tilts series
The Springboks' control of scrums, lineouts and mauls has effectively neutralised New Zealand's running game across the three Tests on South African soil. After the All Blacks dominated the opening fixture 33-16, the reintroduction of South Africa's experienced forward pack shifted momentum decisively. The setpiece has become a tool of psychological and physical pressure, curtailing the expansive style that underpinned New Zealand's early triumph.
Rennie's initial complaints to World Rugby about the scrums appear to have backfired, with the governing body's assessment favouring the Springboks' interpretation. The All Blacks coach now seems intent on moving past the controversy, though his own media contingent has continued to press the issue.
Baltimore without Savea, Tupaea and Jacobson
New Zealand will attempt to salvage a series draw without captain Ardie Savea, who has returned home with a shoulder injury alongside Quinn Tupaea (knee) and Luke Jacobson (elbow). Six other players also departed for New Zealand, whilst Rennie and a 36-man squad flew to Baltimore.
Barnes insisted the gap between the sides remained small but stressed the need for honesty in review sessions. "We're going to have to eat humble pie and be honest in our reviews and be solution-based, because we've got to be better," he said. Whether the All Blacks can arrest the setpiece decline in time for Saturday's finale will determine whether the series ends level or tilts decisively towards the world champions.