Rennie Takes Aim at the Brake Foot
Dave Rennie has had enough of the scrum rulebook. The All Blacks head coach used a fresh round of comments this morning to tell World Rugby that the fix is subtraction, not another layer of regulations.
His main target is the brake foot law, brought in during 2024, which asks hookers to keep one foot extended forward to steady the scrum. Rennie does not see the point. “I’ve got no understanding around the value of that…it made it harder for the referee,” he said.
His argument is that the rule gives officials one more thing to police and hides other infringements in the process. Fewer laws, he suggests, would leave referees with a clearer picture of who is actually doing what.
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South Africa Back in the Firing Line
Rennie also returned to a complaint he has aired before. He believes South African tightheads attack at an aggressive angle and drift sideways across the scrum. “If they’re able to shear across and get rewarded for that, then it’s going to be a debacle at every scrum,” he said.
The scrum was already a flashpoint between the two sides during this year’s series, with the Springboks publicly denying that they cheat at the set piece. Rennie’s remedy is simple: enforce square scrums. In his view that levels the contest whichever pack happens to be heavier on the day.
Meetings Loom Before the November Tests
The timing matters. World Rugby will hold meetings ahead of the November Nations Championship, with coaches gathering in London before the first round of Tests. Rennie says the agenda should stretch beyond scrums. He pointed to oddities in the laws around scrum-halves and rucks that also need a conversation.
None of this is a plea for special treatment. Rennie says he remains confident the All Blacks can hold their own in the scrum under the current laws, provided referees stay consistent from one match to the next.
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