All Blacks Seek Set-Piece Clarity as Springboks Plot Fierce Second-Test Response

New Zealand is hoping its complaints to global governing body World Rugby about South Africa’s scrummaging in the series opener will translate into greater set-piece confidence when the All Blacks and Springboks meet again in the second Test.

In the first match at Ellis Park, the scrum was a potent penalty-earning weapon for the Springboks until the 56th minute, when the All Blacks forced a defensive scrum penalty in front of their posts for South Africa wheeling. New Zealand quickly turned a three-point lead into 10 and went on to win 33-16.

Scrum complaints at the heart of tactical battle

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said they raised concerns with World Rugby about elements of the Springboks’ scrummaging and hopes any guidance filters through to Australian referee Angus Gardner, who will take charge of Sunday’s Test at Cape Town Stadium.

“The expectation is our scrum will be a lot better,” Rennie said. “We think if they’re forced to scrum square, not allowed to step sideways and walk around us, then we’ll be able to stay in front of that and be able to get footy going off that.”

Scrum engagement and binding are tightly defined in the international laws and referees are expected to apply those standards consistently. Any adjustment in how Gardner interprets the contest in Cape Town could significantly affect territory, penalty counts and momentum in what is already a physically abrasive rivalry.

Du Toit: ‘Case both ways’ as Boks back their method

Springboks tighthead prop Thomas du Toit, promoted into the reserves to replace Zach Porthen, said there were “two sides” to the debate over the Ellis Park scrums.

“We try and stay within the laws of the game as much as we can and as much as we perceive it,” du Toit said. “In hindsight everything is easier to look at. Yes, you could probably make a case both ways.

“As far as what New Zealand are speaking to the refs about, we just try and focus on what we do well and hopefully get reward for it.”

For South Africa, the scrum remains a central pillar of its identity. Any shift in refereeing emphasis that blunts that platform not only alters match dynamics on Sunday, it also shapes how the world champions calibrate their forward-based blueprint for the remainder of the four-Test series.

Series leverage and Springbok backlash looming

Another win by the All Blacks would ensure them at least a share of the spoils in the four-Test series. That possibility has framed the week as much as the scrum discussion.

The Springboks are widely expected to respond strongly. They have not lost two Tests in a row anywhere since November 2022, when they were beaten in succession in Ireland and France, and they have not suffered back-to-back home defeats since August 2015, when Argentina and then New Zealand won in South Africa.

The All Blacks do not need a reminder of how quickly South Africa can reset a narrative. Last September, a narrow 24-17 New Zealand win at Eden Park was emphatically overturned seven days later, when the Springboks handed the visitors their heaviest-ever defeat, 43-10 in Wellington.

“The Springboks at their best are tough to beat anywhere,” Rennie said.

“But we’ve talked a lot about us being better. We think we can be a lot better than we were last weekend and that’s the key. We’ve got to be able to lift our level. We know they’re going to be better but we don’t want to focus totally on what South Africa are going to bring. We want to focus on what we can bring.”

Selection reshuffle tests All Blacks’ depth

Rennie has made three changes to his starting XV, two of them enforced by concussions to prop Ethan de Groot and lock Josh Lord.

• Loosehead George Bower moves from the bench into the starting front row.
• Tupou Vaa’i shifts from blindside flanker into the second row.
• Simon Parker comes in to start at blindside flanker in Vaa’i’s vacated role.

Vaa’i was effective roaming wider channels in the first Test, and Rennie believes he can maintain that mobility from lock while Parker provides more direct carrying and defensive presence through the middle of the field. The rebalanced tight-five will be central to New Zealand’s attempt to stabilise the scrum while preserving the athleticism that troubled South Africa late in Johannesburg.

In the backline, Leroy Carter replaces Josh Moorby on the left wing in a straight swap from the reserves, and will mark Kurt-Lee Arendse.

“Leroy is a better defender, I think that will be important,” Rennie said. With Arendse a prolific finisher at Test level, Carter’s defensive reads and aerial work are likely to have a direct bearing on how much pressure New Zealand absorb out wide.

On the bench, prop Xavier Numia and lock Patrick Tuipulotu are drafted into the match-day 23. Tuipulotu recently captained the All Blacks in a 41-35 win over the Lions, underlining the leadership depth available in the tight five for what could be another high-intensity finish.

Gardner, who refereed that Lions match, has been brought in to replace Nika Amashukeli for Sunday after the original appointment fell ill. Amashukeli is now scheduled to control the third Test next week, an adjustment that subtly redistributes familiarity with both teams’ tactics across the remaining fixtures.

Springboks double down on power and experience

Rennie does not expect South Africa to deviate dramatically from the Ellis Park blueprint, where the hosts dominated large parts of the first hour but failed to finish chances.

“I think they’ll just try and do what they did last week but try and do it better,” he said. “The mindset will be attack us at set-piece, put more ball in the air, get a big wall in front of us and try and spend as much time in our 22 as they can.”

Asked what the biggest mistake the All Blacks could make would be, Rennie replied: “This is not going to happen, but us thinking what we did last week is going to be enough to win this week. We’re going to have to go deeper this week.”

South Africa has already named its side, restoring captain Siya Kolisi after a hamstring injury as part of four changes to the run-on team. The selection will make this the most experienced Springbok Test side ever, with 1,012 caps across the match-day group, underscoring how seriously the hosts are treating the need for an immediate response.

Fine margins in a heavyweight rivalry

With the All Blacks a win away from locking in at least a share of the series and the Springboks determined to protect long-standing records at home, Sunday’s encounter in Cape Town sits at the intersection of tactics, officiating and psychology.

How Gardner manages the scrum, how quickly New Zealand’s reshaped pack settles, and how effectively South Africa turns pressure into points will not only decide the second Test, but also dictate the tone, selection choices and strategic gambits for the remaining two matches of rugby’s most enduring rivalry.