“Opinions Aren’t Facts”: Rassie Fires Back At Rennie Over Scrum Accusations
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus says his frustration with Dave Rennie’s comments following the Springboks’ victory over the All Blacks was not about the New Zealand coach expressing an opinion, but about presenting that opinion as fact.
Two days after the match, Erasmus was asked whether he had received any further clarity from World Rugby regarding the scrumming issues that became a talking point following the game.
Erasmus stressed that a clear process already exists for teams to raise concerns about scrums and refereeing decisions, with coaches expected to use that process rather than address such matters through the media.
“My frustration was not about his opinion, but one cannot present opinions as facts. At the moment, it was being said as fact,” Erasmus said.
According to Erasmus, teams can submit their concerns to World Rugby through the Athlete Management System (AMS), which has a specific protocol for raising such issues.
“At the moment, there is a clear protocol. You send five clips into an AMS, and that is where you raise your concerns,” he said.
He added that coaches also have an opportunity to discuss those concerns directly with the match officials before a game.
“The protocol is that you must have the pre-match meeting with the referee, with the other coach present; you put it on the AMS,” explained Erasmus.
The World Cup-winning coach believes this process is important because public criticism can quickly create a narrative around refereeing decisions, potentially placing additional pressure on match officials.
“If I sit here and tell you that New Zealand clean from the side of a breakdown all the time and that the referees must look into that, then that is not the protocol to me,” he added.
“You are talking to the referees through the media, and I have been burned for that,” he said, referring to World Rugby punishing him for a similar indiscretion in 2021.
The Springbok coach said his frustration stemmed from the potential consequences of allowing a particular narrative to take hold after a match.
“Once you put a narrative out like that, everyone begins focusing on that,” Erasmus said.
“All media and podcasts start analysing that, and many people are analysing but have no knowledge about scrums. I myself do not speak with authority on scrums, but I know how Daan (Human) coaches the scrums.”
“We will never say, ‘Let’s walk around a team,’ because that is not our strength and it’s not how we do it,” he added.
Erasmus also pointed out that the protocol limits how many examples a team can formally submit for review.
“There’s a lot of things I want to get out about New Zealand, but I am only allowed five clips that I can send in, so if I name another four here, it’s against the protocol,” Erasmus said.
“We don’t want to put more pressure on the referees through the media.”
Despite the disagreement, Erasmus made it clear that his relationship with Rennie remains positive.
“I am friends with Dave, but I also understand what he is trying to do,” he added.
Erasmus also backed referee Nika Amashukeli, who will take charge of Saturday’s game at FNB Stadium, praising his understanding of the scrum and his experience within the game.
“Nika is a sharp referee. He knows scrums, he has coached and played, and knows exactly how scrums are handled,” Erasmus said.
With the series locked at 1-1, tensions between the two camps are beginning to rise, with the rhetoric becoming increasingly fiery as both sides look to gain every possible advantage over their opponents.
With so little separating the teams, victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry could come down to the finest of margins — and neither side will be willing to surrender an inch.
