Rennie has acknowledged a genuine split with World Rugby over how scrums are being officiated in this series, confirming that conversations have been had but agreement hasn't been reached. His central frustration isn't just with referees on match day — it's structural: he believes the current directive to prioritise the brake foot is causing officials to miss other scrum infringements entirely, effectively making refereeing harder rather than easier. His assistant Neil Barnes went further after the Soweto defeat, suggesting the Boks are benefiting from a 'gravy train' of scrum penalties that aren't all legitimate — a claim Erasmus has already fired back at. Rennie's proposed solution, however, is pragmatic rather than political: reduce the number of scrums the Boks get by being more accurate in the loose, cutting errors, and managing the lineout to maintain continuity. He's essentially conceding that South Africa's set-piece dominance can't be neutralised — only starved of opportunities. With the series at 2-1 going into the US finale, how much of this translates into actual tactical adjustment will matter far more than the ongoing officiating debate.