All Blacks to report Springboks to World Rugby AGAIN after second Test defeat

Sunday, 30 August 2026 at 20:30

byRugby Rucker

The All Blacks are set to raise fresh concerns with World Rugby over the Springboks’ scrummaging following their 33-26 defeat in Cape Town.

New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie had already contacted the governing body following the opening Test at Ellis Park, where South Africa dominated the set-piece despite eventually falling to a 33-16 defeat.

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Rennie claimed the Springboks were “walking around” at scrum-time rather than driving straight, and the issue became a major talking point heading into Saturday’s rematch.

Despite admitting the scrum contest improved in Cape Town, Rennie revealed New Zealand still have concerns and intend to provide further feedback.

ALL BLACKS TO RAISE ISSUE AGAIN

“The scrums were better tonight,” Rennie said, praising referee Angus Gardner for how he managed the set-piece.

However, the All Blacks boss added that South Africa's movement remained “a bit of an issue” and confirmed there were technical points New Zealand would “share again”.

That prompted an explosive response from Rassie Erasmus.

The Springboks boss strongly rejected suggestions his pack were deliberately moving around the scrum and accused New Zealand of attempting to create a narrative that could influence officials.

“We scrum straight. We’ve never been accused of walking around,” Erasmus said during a fiery post-match press conference.

Erasmus also pointed towards repeated collapses on New Zealand ball and questioned why the All Blacks were publicly highlighting the issue.

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SCRUM ROW SET TO CONTINUE

The controversy now looks certain to rumble into the third Test, with the four-match series finely poised at 1-1.

South Africa's victory in Cape Town ensured everything remains to play for when the two rugby giants meet again in Johannesburg next weekend.

And with New Zealand preparing to provide World Rugby with more feedback, the battle at scrum-time could once again dominate the build-up.

#1. Jesse Kriel OUT – André Esterhuizen IN

Jesse Kriel couldn't have asked for a better start in Cape Town, crossing for the opening try after just two minutes.

However, the experienced centre endured a much more difficult afternoon defensively.

Kriel missed several tackles as New Zealand repeatedly threatened the Springbok midfield, with a couple of those defensive errors contributing to All Blacks tries.

Erasmus has another hugely physical option waiting in the wings.

André Esterhuizen featured from the bench in Cape Town and could be unleashed from the start, potentially with Damian de Allende shifting across to outside centre.

That would give the Springboks an enormous midfield combination while adding another powerful carrier to their attack.

RUCK VERDICT: Esterhuizen deserves his opportunity. Start him at 12 and move De Allende to 13.

#2. Jasper Wiese OUT – Cameron Hanekom IN

This could be the biggest change Erasmus makes.

Jasper Wiese started shakily with another knock-on at the point of contact and struggled to make his usual impact with ball in hand.

New Zealand clearly identified the powerhouse number eight as one of South Africa's biggest threats and regularly swarmed him before he could generate momentum.

That's where the problem starts.

When Wiese isn't making metres through contact, his lack of a natural ball-playing game can make the Springbok attack more predictable.

Cameron Hanekom offers something different.

The Bulls star replaced Wiese during the second half in Cape Town and possesses the pace, carrying ability and handling skills to cause New Zealand different problems.

RUCK VERDICT: Hanekom starts at number eight and gives the Springbok attack another dimension.

#3. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu MOVES TO 15

After a difficult opening Test, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced a much more assured performance in Cape Town.

His kicking game was particularly important, repeatedly pinning New Zealand deep and allowing South Africa to reset whenever the contest became loose.

It still wasn't perfect.

One kick almost resulted in a charge-down try for Jordie Barrett, while several attacking combinations failed to come off.

However, perhaps the most interesting part of his performance came after half-time.

With Damian Willemse forced off, Feinberg-Mngomezulu moved to fullback as Manie Libbok took control at fly-half.

The youngster suddenly appeared to have more freedom to influence the contest without carrying the responsibility of directing every Springbok attack.

RUCK VERDICT: Keep Sacha in the starting XV, but unleash him from fullback.

#4. Damian Willemse OUT – Manie Libbok IN

This change completes the backline reshuffle.

Willemse positioned himself well defensively in Cape Town, particularly when dealing with New Zealand's probing kicking game.

However, his own kicking from hand was inconsistent, with several efforts failing to find the distance or accuracy South Africa needed.

More importantly, Willemse was forced from the field through injury before the second half.

If there is any doubt surrounding his fitness, Erasmus shouldn't need to gamble.

Moving Feinberg-Mngomezulu to fullback would open the door for Manie Libbok to return at fly-half after he helped direct proceedings following his introduction in Cape Town.

Libbok's willingness to play flat and bring runners onto the ball could also give the All Blacks a completely different attacking picture to defend.

RUCK VERDICT: Libbok starts at 10, Sacha moves to 15 and Willemse gets the opportunity to recover fully.

RUCK'S FOUR CHANGES

OUT: Jesse Kriel
IN: André Esterhuizen

OUT: Jasper Wiese
IN: Cameron Hanekom

MOVE: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 10 to 15

IN: Manie Libbok – starts at 10

Rugby Quiz: Can you name the past 25 Springboks captains?

How well do you know the Springboks? South Africa have had some legendary leaders over the years, with some of the game's biggest names taking on the responsibility of captaining the current world champions.

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But how many of their last 25 captains can you remember? Test your rugby knowledge and see if you can name every player to have led the Springboks in their most recent appearances.

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