JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The sweat was barely dried after a “special win” against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday and New Zealand coach Dave Rennie was already anticipating the Springboks’ fiery reaction.
Rennie’s brief tenure in charge of the All Blacks got a statement victory after taking down two-time world champion South Africa 33-16 in the first test of their four-test series.
Halftime came as a relief to the All Blacks, who trailed by one and overcame a beating in the scrums to ultimately whack the Springboks by five tries to one.
“We were under the pump and the boys barred up,” Rennie said. “We defended and defended, and then we were clinical when we got our opportunities. So, yeah, I’m proud, a massive effort. It’s a great result for us, but we’re wary of the response we’ll get next week.”
Going 1-0 up in the series “doesn’t guarantee anything,” he added. “Next week is going to be just as tough. We’ll enjoy the moment.”
The scrums played a big role. New Zealand was overwhelmed in the first half. Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot was getting done over by Wilco Louw. Rennie said de Groot was ill on Friday and left the captain’s run early to return to bed.
Rennie said they were debating when to replace de Groot when he came off in the 38th minute along with lock Josh Lord after their heads collided. Rennie didn’t anticipate concussion protocols allowing both forwards to be available for the second test in Cape Town next Saturday.
De Groot was replaced by George Bower, whose selection ahead of Xavier Numia was disputed by supporters. But Rennie said Bower’s experience was invaluable and his impact was sizeable. By the end of the match, Bower, Fletcher Newell and backup hooker Asafo Aumua ensured the scrum was no longer a weapon for the Springboks.
Earning a penalty off the Springboks’ scrum feed in the All Blacks’ 22 near the hour was decisive, captain Ardie Savea said.
“You talk about being composed in tight moments, and you could just see the boys were really present in the moment,” he said. “All you can ask for as a leader is for everyone to do their job, and everyone did that.”
New Zealand was forced into a late withdrawal when reserve flanker Anton Segner suffered ankle inflammation and was replaced by Simon Parker.
Parker may be among a very few All Blacks from the test match who back up in the final tour game against a club, the Lions, at Ellis Park on Tuesday.
Rennie was hired this year after Scott Robertson was fired due to a dysfunctional team environment that didn’t have the All Blacks on track for hoped-for World Cup success next year. Before Saturday they had lost five of their last six matches against South Africa.
Since getting hands on in June, Rennie and his staff have given the All Blacks clarity and direction and lifted the mood. But the coach wasn’t happy to take plaudits on Saturday.
“We’re still in our infancy,” he said, “still getting our heads around how we want to play.”
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