The piece cuts through Rennie's renewed radio complaints about Bok scrum tactics and the brake foot law to make a pointed argument: this isn't genuine concern about the laws of the game, it's deliberate narrative-building. The author traces a clear line from Rennie's attempts to influence officiating during the July series — including getting Angus Gardner onside — through to his current push to get World Rugby to 'delete rules' and simplify the scrum. The brake foot law, the piece reminds us, was introduced as a player welfare measure following front-row forwards' own concerns about axial loading, and has been in trial since 2022. It's not a controversial outlier; it's established law that the All Blacks simply couldn't adapt to. The real game, the author argues, is being played well ahead of the 2027 World Cup: if Rennie can sow enough confusion and create enough referee uncertainty around scrum officiating, he improves his chances of neutralising the Bok scrum advantage in a knockout match. It's a sharp take on how coaches operate in the political space around officiating, and it's well worth the read if you want context for why the scrum debate won't go away quietly.
Rennie's scrum obsession isn't about the laws — it's about the World Cup
Rennie's scrum complaints aren't about fixing the laws — the author argues he's deliberately muddying the waters to create referee uncertainty ahead of a potential World Cup clash with 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.