Dave Rennie Says Brake Foot Focus Is Making Referees Miss the Bigger Scrum Picture
- All Blacks coach Dave Rennie revealed what World Rugby told him after he raised scrum concerns during the ongoing tour
- Rennie defended referee Nika Amashukeli over Ruben Love's yellow card, contradicting the reaction from within New Zealand rugby circles
- The All Blacks coach also explained why New Zealand's lineout kept throwing to the front all series, and what it cost them
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie addressed the media on Monday ahead of the fourth Test against the Springboks in Baltimore, and despite spending most of the session deflecting blame, he let slip the most significant detail yet about his ongoing dispute with World Rugby over scrum officiating.
Asked to elaborate on his disagreement with World Rugby, Rennie initially declined. He then answered at length anyway.
Rennie's brake foot concern
The All Blacks coach confirmed that New Zealand had taken their scrum concerns directly to World Rugby and received only partial agreement in return. His criticism, however, was not about the law itself but about where referees are being directed to look.
"The sole focus at the moment seems to be brake foot," Rennie said. "I reckon if referees are looking for brake foot, they don't see all the other things that you're supposed to be looking at. So I don't think we're helping our referees by making their job any easier."
The brake foot is the front row's leading foot, planted forward at engagement to keep the scrum square before the ball is fed in. Rennie argues that when officials fix their attention on that single checkpoint- binds, hip height, the direction of drive- elements above the knees, binds, hip height, the direction of drive go unmonitored, and those are the details that decide Test scrums.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Rennie defends Love card and praises Springboks
New Zealand had spent four days publicly furious about the yellow card shown to Ruben Love near his own line in Soweto. Rennie watched the footage and arrived at a different conclusion to most of his compatriots.
He said Love was clearly onside at the first ruck after the initial advantage play, but that at the second ruck,
"Ruben's got a foot in front of the line."
In his view, the penalty was correct in law, and the yellow card was consistent with the one Amashukeli had already shown Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu earlier in the match for a cynical infringement.
"It's definitely a penalty based on law," Rennie said.
"I understand the yellow card."
He also acknowledged that New Zealand's lineout had sacrificed attacking potential by repeatedly throwing to the front, but confirmed it was a deliberate tactic. South Africa's lineout defence was keying off the thrower's eyes and contesting the middle and back, leaving the front unguarded. "It's free ball at the front," he said, adding that the priority was securing possession over setting up a platform.
On the Springboks as a contest, Rennie was direct:
"They're a very good side, and they scramble really well. I think the better side probably won in the end."
South Africa lead the four-Test series 2-1 with the fourth Test scheduled for Saturday, 13 September in Baltimore. A New Zealand win would split the trophy; a South Africa win would secure it outright.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
