Dave Rennie has confirmed New Zealand lodged a complaint with World Rugby over how the scrum was officiated at Ellis Park — though he's keeping the specifics close to his chest. The Boks dominated the set-piece in the first half, with De Groot, Taylor and Lomax repeatedly going backwards, and Rennie knows South Africa will come after the same target in Cape Town. Beyond the scrum, he's identified discipline and contact-area go-forward as areas needing improvement — the Boks' early-phase energy forced too many soft penalties and easy entry into the All Blacks' 22. Rennie is also openly wary of the 'Boklash' after the Boks' uncharacteristic error count in the 33-16 defeat, but his focus is on New Zealand lifting their own level rather than fixating on what the Boks will bring. Whether the World Rugby intervention shifts scrum officiating — and whether that changes the game's complexion — is the live question heading into the series decider.
All Blacks flag scrum concerns to World Rugby ahead of Cape Town decider
Rennie has lodged a World Rugby complaint over Ellis Park scrum officiating while identifying discipline and contact-area go-forward as areas needing urgent improvement. He's bracing for a Boklash but insists the All Blacks' focus is on lifting their own performance rather than containing the Boks.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Hansen's Right to Back Himself — But the Boks' Five-Match Streak Tells a Different Story
Jean de Villiers acknowledges Hansen's logic but argues last year's results and performances make it hard to see the All Blacks closing the gap on the Boks — and the panel get genuinely animated over what a 2-2 series tiebreaker would even look like.
Keo & Zels: Stubborn All Blacks policy make Boks smile
The boys love that New Zealand keep picking their second-best, long may it continue.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.