All Blacks coach Dave Rennie states team must show best level of play to unsettle Springboks

Former Springbok player Rubin Fleck cautioned South Africans against misconceptions regarding Dave Rennie's relaxed demeanor, predicting that the All Blacks will bring an extremely aggressive and physically intense style of play to the upcoming four-match series against the Springboks.

Fleck, who previously played for the Stormers, has repeatedly faced Rennie during their careers in Super Rugby and had the opportunity to work with the New Zealander when he coached Glasgow. Fleck shared his opinion on the Boks Unpacked X The Verdict podcast alongside former Springbok teammates Jean de Villiers and Hananisi Simange.

He noted that Rennie is one of the best coaches he knows, calling him his all-time favorite coach after undergoing professional development under Rennie in Glasgow.

The Main Rivalry in Rugby

Fleck emphasized that Rennie's teams are characterized by high intensity, physical power, and a willingness to attack with the ball in hand. He stated that Dave Rennie's team play is built on immense intensity, high ball possession, and fast wingers.

In Fleck's view, the key element in Dave Rennie's game is the physical aspect, which he terms 'toughness.' He believes that every aspect of the game—tackles, ball contesting, tackles—is a fight, and any concession to the opponent leads to losing the match.

Given that the team played two matches mid-week during their tour, Fleck believes Rennie is only beginning to reveal his hardline approach, and this will become evident once the test match series against the Springboks begins.

Despite the fact that set-piece play—defense and securing possession—is important to him, Fleck insists that physicality remains the main ingredient. He added that if Rennie senses his team is losing in this area, he will try to correct it, as he realizes otherwise they will lose.

Furthermore, Fleck pointed to the size and physical presence of the New Zealand squad as proof of Rennie's preparation for the confrontation with the Springboks. He noted that Rennie brought 'big men to counter the Springboks' on the tour and will be promoting the idea that physical strength is necessary to beat South Africa.

Fleck concluded that Dave Rennie is a coach with a tough approach, and this 'Rennie flavour' is visible in every team he has coached, which attests to his high level as a mentor.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie expresses a desire for referees to speed up the pace of matches during the biggest rugby rivalry. However, critics note that before complaining about the slow pace of the game, the coach should address the team's internal issues.

Despite the New Zealanders stating their desire to play at a fast pace, an analysis of the first two matches of the tour in the great rivalry shows that the game against the Springboks presents a completely different challenge. The New Zealand team faced two United Rugby Championship (URC) teams that were in pre-season form, and it is natural that the pace of the game against the world's second-ranked team eventually caught up with them in the second half of both encounters.

Nevertheless, the Boks players are prepared for high-intensity matches lasting over 80 minutes, and Rennie's team should be ready for a tense confrontation in the first match at Ellis Park stadium. This could become a psychological game on the part of the All Blacks coach, as New Zealand looked more composed in the last few matches between these sides when intensity increased.

Therefore, the comments of the All Blacks head coach after the first two tour matches should be viewed with caution, considering the upcoming match at altitude on Saturday, and then the match against the Springboks next week. This game will show whether the visitors can maintain the pace when their scrum is closely scrutinized by the world champions, and their rolling maul works in reverse, similar to what happened against the Stormers in the first match.

In the previous match, both teams slowed down the game when the Cape Town side still had energy, and the score was 14-14 at one point. However, the guests' excellent physical condition was demonstrated against two URC clubs, and it will be interesting to see if Rennie will stick to the same position after the first match.

Unlike Boks coach Rassie Erasmus, the New Zealand mentor interacted with the referees involved in the series and had the opportunity to convey to them points he would like to see in the matches for the first time. Erasmus recently expressed regret over the new protocols according to which official requests submitted by coaches are available to competing teams and other referees.

Erasmus reported last month how the system now works: 'Now the day referee sends you an email asking if you want to meet, and if both coaches do not agree, there will be no meeting; but if both coaches agree, they meet with the referee.'

This certainly makes the upcoming series interesting, but publicly expressing concerns about the opponent slowing down the game could cause problems for the All Blacks when they face the world champions.

After two matches on South African soil, the All Blacks showed the Springboks that they are ready to adapt to any challenges posed by the great rugby rivalry.

In the first match, the teams secured a tight victory over the Stormers in Cape Town. However, on Tuesday, they displayed a completely different level of play, achieving a convincing 54-0 victory over the Sharks in Durban, despite extremely difficult weather conditions.

This result highlighted the team's ability, under the guidance of Dave Rennie, to adapt to circumstances. Despite the rain and slippery surface, the team maintained its attacking potential and also demonstrated an ability to win using a more pragmatic approach.

These actions did not go unnoticed by the Springboks' head coach, Rassie Erasmus, and his coaching staff, who closely studied the All Blacks' game ahead of the first test match next Saturday at Ellis Park stadium.

In the wet conditions, New Zealand's attacking power was not suppressed; their passing game was particularly impressive, as they repeatedly found space behind the Sharks' defense. The team's ability to recognize opportunities and change tactics in difficult situations will be another warning for the world champions.

The third and final match against the United Rugby Championship team will take place on Saturday when the All Blacks face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. This match presents a different challenge, as the altitude will test the visitors after they have faced contrasting conditions in Cape Town and Durban.

Loftus, located at an altitude of approximately 1,350 meters above sea level, will provide the All Blacks with a final test before traveling to Johannesburg for the first test match. If they can overcome the effects of altitude and show another convincing performance, the New Zealanders will conclude an impressive three-match cycle against top South African teams in the URC.

More importantly for the Springboks, the All Blacks demonstrated across three very different environments that they are not preparing for the great rivalry using only one style of play. Although they intend to dominate the Bokke through their polished technique and high-tempo style, they can easily switch to a more measured approach when the situation demands it.

Regardless of the conditions awaiting them at Ellis Park, Erasmus will know that they will likely be prepared after these three encounters.