All Blacks Coach Dave Rennie Takes Swipe at Springboks and SA Teams Over Time-Wasting

• Dave Rennie has reignited a familiar rugby debate as the All Blacks continue their high-profile South African tour, with his latest comments adding another talking point ahead of the much-anticipated Tests
• The New Zealand coach has raised questions about how certain moments during matches are handled, suggesting there may be more to some stoppages than meets the eye
• Rennie’s comments come at an intriguing stage of the Greatest Rivalry Tour, with the All Blacks building momentum in South Africa and the Springboks clashes drawing ever closer

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has taken a swipe at the Springboks and South African teams over what he believes is unnecessary time-wasting during matches.

Rennie raised the issue after New Zealand thrashed the Sharks 54-0 in Durban on Tuesday, 11 August 2026. His comments focused on how long play can be delayed during stoppages.

Speaking about the issue, Rennie said:

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“If they can decide to put players on the floor, the length of our stoppage, then I think the officials will understand that it's tactical and let us play.”

All Blacks coach targets lengthy lineouts

The New Zealand boss also singled out lineouts, arguing that teams can spend too long preparing for them.

“And also, it's a real trend in world rugby at the moment, every time there's a line-out, sides are on the ball, and there's a big meeting, it takes ages to actually get the game going,” Rennie said.

He added that such situations had previously been controlled more firmly by referees.

Springboks rivalry adds extra spice

Rennie did not explicitly name the Springboks in those remarks, but his comments came while the All Blacks are touring South Africa.

As reported by KickOff, Rennie wants officials to put greater pressure on teams that deliberately prolong stoppages.

The issue could provide another talking point when the All Blacks face the Springboks.

All Blacks warning ahead of Springboks Tests

Briefly News previously reported that Dave Rennie was far from satisfied despite the All Blacks’ emphatic 54-0 victory over the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.

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All Blacks coach warns Springboks after Sharks demolition: ‘A lot more in Us'

The New Zealand coach believes his side still has another level to reach before the Springboks Tests, with one area of their performances already demanding attention.

The All Blacks will first face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 15 August, before the opening Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg on 22 August.

Source: Briefly News