Two penalties in 80 minutes
Nick Mallett did not hide his anger over the scrum officiating in Cape Town on Saturday. The former Springboks coach went on the front foot on Monday morning on the Talking Boks podcast. He had one man in his sights: Angus Gardner.
The Australian stepped in for the injured Nika Amashukeli. According to Planet Rugby, New Zealand conceded just two penalties across the whole match. A week earlier at Ellis Park, the All Blacks had given away six.
Mallett sees that as a deliberate call. The referee did not want to rule on who was on top in the scrum. He wanted the set piece to simply get play moving again, even if that meant letting front rows get away with it.
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Erasmus gets it right
Rassie Erasmus changed his entire front row an hour before kick-off. Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit started. Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw were named on the bench.
The lighter trio held firm. Mallett admits as much: parity held for a good chunk of the first half. And that, he says, is exactly what set the tone for Gardner.
The arrival of Nche and Marx changed everything. The Springboks won two penalties back to back from scrums inside the New Zealand 22. The second led to an advantage, then Jesse Kriel’s try.
Rennie and Erasmus trade blows
The row is about more than just the referee. Dave Rennie had accused the South African looseheads of turning the scrum. Erasmus hit back in his post-match press conference. Mallett, though, points the finger back at the New Zealand camp.
“It started long before that,” the former coach says. He reminds everyone that the All Blacks had complained first, right at the start of the tour, about the slow pace set by the South African sides.
Mallett also disputes the penalty given against Steenekamp. He points to footage broken down by Victor Matfield on SuperSport, where the New Zealand loosehead goes in at an angle from the shove as well.
A decisive third Test
The series is level at one apiece. The final Test will be played at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, with the Georgian referee back in charge. Mallett will be watching to see whether the South African scrum can go back to being a weapon.
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