Springboks scrumhalf Cobus Reinach feeds the scrum during the second Test between the Boks and the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday.
The post-match narrative following the Springboks’ 33–26 victory over the All Blacks to level Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 1–1 degenerated into an explosive row over the scrum battle between the two teams.
The war of words between head coaches Rassie Erasmus and Dave Rennie spilled over onto social media, with former England prop Joe Marler joining the debate with a few choice emojis.
The sparks were lit when All Blacks head coach Rennie publicly raised concerns over South Africa’s set-piece, suggesting that the Boks were illegally "walking around" rather than driving straight through the mark at scrum time. Rennie revealed New Zealand would once again present feedback to World Rugby.
Erasmus’s reaction was atomic. In a fiery post-match press conference, the Springboks’ boss rejected the "nonsense" claims, furiously denying Rennie’s sentiment that they were cheating to gain scrum dominance.
