Rennie confident All Blacks can level up series in Baltimore
Dave Rennie freely admits that the All Blacks would rather be 2-1 up than the other way around heading into the fourth test in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series presented by Castle Double Malt. Speaking at the historic Watergate Hotel in Washington DC, Rennie stressed the importance of tying up the series before the team heads back to New Zealand.
“It would be nice to have left South African soil leading 2-1, and you feel like you've won a series on South African soil. But that's not an option for us now,” he said.
All Blacks attack built on physicality, not just flair
One thing that has been definitely working for the All Blacks is the attack, which Rennie said needed to be earned up front.
"You gotta ensure that we play with a hard edge. We still wanna play, and I think a lot of people will see maybe the flash footy, but not really connect it with all the brutality and technical excellence that has to happen to create those opportunities and create space,” he said.
“Then likewise defensively, you need a hard engine around that for us to create turnovers to score off. So the true rugby people would love the physical brutality side of it, and that creates an opportunity for us to play that type of high-speed, high-skill game."
The All Blacks have scored 13 tries against a formidable Springbok defence, something that attack coach Mike Blair is proud of, but says they can get even better.
”From an attack point of view we're creating a hell of a lot, and we're scoring tries. But we're missing a lot of opportunities as well,” he said.
“So the message has been really positive in what we're creating. We're also discussing how we can maintain pressure, through our multi-phase and then when we get those opportunities.”
That view is back up by Rennie.
"The line breaks in the weekend were 12 to 5 or something like that. We're creating a lot of opportunities. We beat 32 defenders or something along those lines. So we're creating opportunities, and we've just gotta turn some more of those into points. We've got a game that can unlock them. Thirteen tries in the three tests, there's not too many teams scoring that many tries against South Africa."
WATCH: All Blacks v South Africa
Test 3 of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry presented by Castle Double Malt
Springbok scrum a key threat ahead of Baltimore test
It won’t be easy against a Springbok side looking to inflict three defeats in a row against the All Blacks for the first time since 2009. Rassie Erasmus’s side has been extremely efficient at the set piece and using their scrum as a weapon to win penalties and field position. Rennie admitted the All Blacks have to be better in that area.
"The buck stops with me in the end. Look, I think our scrum, if you have a look at our scrum, we were poor and got punished. It's a pretty easy decision for the referee, to be honest,” he said.
“The set piece has to be better, and so we can't hide from it. I reckon we'll do a better job of staying in front of their maul this week."
All Blacks eye first drawn series with Springboks since 1928
This weekend’s test match at M&T Bank Stadium, the usual home of the Baltimore Ravens, will be the last in a gruelling eight match tour for the All Blacks. After initially naming a 44-man squad, Rennie has had to call up an additional six players, and has suffered the loss of captain Ardie Savea.
However, he is confident the All Blacks can level the series at 2-2, which would make it the first drawn series between the two sides since 1928.
"This is more around us putting in a quality performance to finish off what's been an awesome tour for us, learning-wise and culturally and in our rugby stuff…so to win on the weekend would mean it's 2-2, and I think that would be a pretty good result for us from where we've come."
All Blacks v South Africa
- Kick off: 5PM, Saturday 12 September (local time) / 9AM, Sunday 13 September NZST
- Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA
- Watch live on Sky Sport NZ, head to the All Blacks match centre for in-game updates
