Erasmus and Rennie's war of words escalates ahead of third Test — SkimNews
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- South Africa and New Zealand are level at 1-1 in the four-match series after the All Blacks won the opener 33-16 at Ellis Park and the Springboks took the second Test 33-26 in Cape Town.
- Rassie Erasmus made five changes to his named squad an hour before the second Test kick-off, including an entire front-row swap, citing expected rain that never materialised.
- Dave Rennie dismissed the late changes as 'no drama' but accused the Springboks of 'walking around' and angling scrums sideways, saying he had given feedback to World Rugby about the technique.
- Erasmus shot back with 'don't come with that nonsense,' arguing it was the first time in history anyone had accused the Springboks of scrumming that way, while also flagging a contested skew lineout by New Zealand.
- Because the series is independently administered under the 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry' banner, Erasmus can change his team outside the usual World Rugby 48-hour medical dispensation window and hinted he may switch again in Johannesburg depending on weather.
- The third Test is at FNB Stadium on Saturday, September 5 (4:10pm UK kick-off), with the fourth Test scheduled for M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on September 12.
Why it matters: Rennie has formally escalated the scrum-angle dispute to World Rugby, meaning the third-Test referee in Johannesburg could crack down on Springbok set-piece technique — a direct lever on a series where scrums have already decided momentum.
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