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'It's funny, our game': Dave Rennie bows out of Springboks scrum saga
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Dave Rennie has started to wind down the scrum chat ahead of the third Test of the Greatest Rivalry tour, attempting to move on from what has become a contentious talking point in the series.
The All Blacks coach kicked off the saga by calling out South Africa for walking around in the scrum, prompting an impassioned rebuttal from counterpart Rassie Erasmus.
Former players, podcasters, pundits and columnists have feasted on the topic since, amplifying the sense of tension in the series from afar.
But Rennie says he has remained disconnected from the circus that has followed, paying little mind to the narratives surrounding the series.
Cutting a typically laid-back figure at his Johannesburg press conference on Thursday, the coach was asked whether he considered the back-and-forth between him and Erasmus to be a ‘spat’ or a ‘war of words’.
“If this is about the scrum, I got asked a question in the media, and I said what I thought,” Rennie responded.
“It’s funny, our game. You can look at all aspects of the game, and what one guy sees happening on one side of a ruck is different to what someone else sees.
“I mean, it’s a competitive environment. We’re certainly not going out of our way to create narratives and things like that. Rassie and I had a beer immediately after the game, which was good.
“There’s a lot on the line, but I don’t see it as a war of words between him and I. I’ve said a couple of things; he’s said a couple of things. That’s footy.”
When a follow-up question asked whether he felt the Springboks had overreacted to his comments, highlighting the continued discussion during media engagements this week, Rennie simply said he didn’t know what had been said.
“I don’t tend to read anything, so I’m not aware of that. I was aware there was a reaction post-game; I’m not aware there’s been more of that going on during the week.
“Again, in my mind, I answered a question. I moved on on Saturday.”
When there was a third attempt to bring up the scrum controversy, the coach decided to call time on the topic.
“Look, I’m just thinking ‘do I bother giving this more air?’ I’ve made comments, we’ve shared stuff with the officials, and the Springboks have done the same thing. It’s now up to the referee and his support staff to referee what he sees in front of him.”
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