Dave Rennie and the fine art of silencing the critics

PremiumOpinionOpinion byPaul LewisContributing Sports Writer·NZ Herald·29 Jul, 2026 03:02 AM5 mins to readPaul Lewis writes about rugby, cricket, league, football, yachting, golf, the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.‌You have to hand it to Dave Rennie. He’s done what few All Blacks coaches have: quell the critics. So far, anyway.

Forty-four All Blacks chosen for the tough tour of South Africa provoked barely a squeak of protest. Fingers poised over keyboards have mostly stayed still in social media