Rassie Erasmus Crowned ‘King’ in Controversial Aspect Ahead of Springboks’ Third Test vs All Blacks
- Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read weighed in on the war of words between Rassie Erasmus and Dave Rennie over officiating
- The SA rugby coach fired back at Rennie's scrum criticism with a profanity-laced denial after the Springboks' 33-26 win in Cape Town
- Read acknowledged the psychological tactics at play but flagged a rule that could limit Erasmus' team selection games in future
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Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read has described Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus as the best in the business when it comes to influencing referees through the media, saying no coach plays that game quite like him.
Read made the remarks on the GBRANZ podcast amid an ongoing public dispute between Erasmus and New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie over officiating during Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. The feud intensified after South Africa's 33-26 victory in Cape Town, with both coaches taking aim at each other's scrum tactics in the press.
**Rennie and Erasmus Trade Scrum Accusations**
Rennie alleged after the second Test that the Springboks were able to "walk around" and target New Zealand's tightheads at the scrum. Erasmus rejected the claim sharply, saying: "We're not f**king walking around!" He maintained that the Boks scrummage straight and suggested the All Blacks were deliberately constructing a media narrative to sway officials.
Read, who earned 127 Test caps for New Zealand, said he understood exactly what both coaches were doing. "I don't mind it because all he's trying to do is influence slightly what's going to come in the next two Tests around refereeing decisions," Read said. "They're going to watch Dave Rennie complain about their angles, so both of them are planting little seeds for the refereeing teams to maybe look at when they're reviewing the footage."
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He added: "It's part of it and with Rassie you've got to expect it. Coaches have been doing this for a long time, but Rassie is the absolute king of it."
**Read Questions Last-Minute Team Changes**
Read also raised an eyebrow at Erasmus' habit of reshuffling his squad close to kick-off. Ahead of the Cape Town Test, Erasmus overhauled his entire starting front row shortly before the match began, submitting the changes as he handed in the team sheet roughly 30 minutes before kick-off.
"He was up and down this week, wasn't he? Making changes the day of the game, just as he's handing in the team sheet half-an-hour before kick-off," Read said, acknowledging that Erasmus has a talent for constructing a compelling story around his decisions.
Read noted, however, that such flexibility would not be permitted at a World Cup or Nations Championship, where teams must name their squads 48 hours in advance and changes are restricted to injuries only.
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Source: Briefly News
