Dave Rennie weighs in on Springboks' depth, Stormers' season

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie had plenty of praise for his South African counterpart during his first media engagement since landing in Cape Town on Friday, complimenting the depth Rassie Erasmus has built over recent years as he looked ahead to the challenge his side faces over the coming two months.

Rennie fronted the media at a welcome event at DHL Stadium, where he was queried about his expectations for his upcoming opponents. The All Blacks’ tour features games against three URC outfits, starting with the Stormers, before the first Test against the Springboks, with a midweek game against the Lions falling before the second Test.

New Zealand enter the contests with a three-from-three record under the new head coach, most recently emerging 40-21 victors against Ireland at Eden Park. Rennie said the result was positive, but was keen to emphasise that this team’s game is only in its infancy.

“We’re building,” he said. “We’re a new side, we’ve got a lot of new staff, we’ve got quite a lot of new young players, so we’re learning a lot.

“It was a good performance (against Ireland), but we’re well aware of how tough this challenge is: double world champions, Rassie’s used a hell of a lot of players, 46 players maybe, and you wouldn’t know. The team they put out against Scotland, there was a lot of changes, and Scotland are an excellent side, but they won convincingly in the end.

“So we’re well aware of the task in front. He’s done a phenomenal job here, Rassie.”

While South Africa’s national side have been largely at the top of the rugby world with Erasmus at the helm, the local club teams have had a competitive start to life in the URC after leaving Super Rugby in 2019.

Rennie squared off with the South African club teams for the entirety of his time in Super Rugby, getting familiar with the style of play over six seasons as head coach of the Chiefs.

“The Stormers have a great reputation, and they had a pretty strong season in the URC,” he said of his first-up opponents. “They got away to a really good start and ended up making the semis.

“We’re well aware of all of the African sides, they’ve all got a lot of big men, and they play a great brand of footy. It’ll be quick playing in this great stadium. We’re really excited about it.”

The format of the inaugural ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ Tour hasn’t been seen for decades, offering the players a new challenge. But the coaches also have their work cut out for them, needing to adjust game-to-game to keep ahead of the opponents’ tactics.

“It’s completely different to a World Cup,” Rennie said. “We’re all playing the same team four times, so your review ends up being your preview, and hopefully you learn a bit and do things better next game.

“Obviously we’ve got midweek games, and it means that everyone gets to play; sometimes when you’re away on tour, some guys will train but never get the chance to wear the jersey. So playing the provincial sides is great for the whole squad.”