Rassie Erasmus has hit back at All Blacks coach Dave Rennie over claims that the Springboks were deliberately moving around at scrum time to win penalties, insisting his frustration was not with Rennie's opinion but with the way it was presented.

Rennie made the accusation after Saturday's second Test in Cape Town, which the Springboks won 33–26 to level the series at one-all. Asked about the scrum battle, Rennie claimed the Springboks were able to walk around and go straight through New Zealand's tighthead, adding that his side would provide feedback on technical issues. When the allegation was put to Erasmus at his post-match media conference, the Springbok boss bristled.

"We've been playing as a pack of these guys together, so it's the first time ever in history that people are talking about us walking around," Erasmus fumed. "So why would we all of a sudden walk around in this? You know, the first six scrums New Zealand had, every single one collapsed and it was reset, reset, reset, reset. So why is it only on their ball that the scrum collapsed every single time?"

Protocol over public comment

Speaking after naming his team for the third Test, Erasmus elaborated on his frustration. "My frustration wasn't so much about his opinion, but when an opinion gets presented as fact," he said. "There are now clear protocols for this. You get five clips to send to World Rugby's officiating system (AMS), and that's where you raise your concerns. If I sat here and said New Zealand are cleaning out illegally at the breakdown and the referees must look into it, that's not the protocol. That's talking to referees through the media, and I've been burned for that before."

Erasmus said he had plenty he could criticise about the All Blacks but was restricted to five clips that could be submitted through the official system. "I'm not frustrated with the fact that Dave wants to get it out, there's a lot of things I want to get out about New Zealand, but I only have five clips I can send him post a match," he said. "If I name another four here, it's against the protocol, because the protocol is sent through the AMS system. So, I can guarantee you, we don't want to put more pressure on the referees through the media."

The Springbok coach believes comments made publicly can quickly become a narrative that places additional pressure on match officials. "Once you put a narrative like that out there, everybody starts focusing on it – all the media, all the podcasts, everyone starts analysing it – and a lot of people doing that analysis have no real knowledge of scrums," Erasmus said.

Scrum battle under scrutiny

Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett weighed in on the debate, suggesting that referee Angus Gardner had managed the scrums to nullify their influence on the outcome. New Zealand conceded just two penalties throughout the 80 minutes despite South Africa putting the All Blacks' set-piece under pressure. Mallett remarked that Gardner wanted the set-piece as a manner of restarting the game rather than a decisive factor, though he acknowledged the result was ultimately decided by the players.

With the series locked at one-all, the scrum battle and the manner in which coaches communicate concerns to officials will remain under the microscope as the third Test approaches. Erasmus has made clear he intends to work within the protocols, even as the war of words threatens to overshadow the contest on the field.