With the opening Test at Ellis Park on Saturday, the pre-match narrative has zeroed in on game speed. Erasmus brought Jaco Peyper to his press conference specifically to rebut claims the Boks slow the game down — Peyper pointed to the Shape of the Game agreement between World Rugby, coaches and referees, and stressed the Boks have received zero negative feedback across five matches this season. Rennie's response was measured but pointed: he noted a Sharks lineout that took 50 seconds to set, contrasted it favourably with the Bulls' tempo, and said he expects the Boks to match that more positive mindset. Notably, both camps agreed there was no need for a pre-match meeting with referee Matthew Carley — Erasmus declined it, Rennie was comfortable with the email exchange that followed. The tactical and psychological positioning ahead of what promises to be a high-stakes series opener is worth reading in full.