Dave Rennie: Rassie Erasmus has done it for eight years, we’ve had two months
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus.
Dave Rennie is demanding a bit of patience when it comes to building depth within the All Blacks squad following their unconvincing victory over the Stormers.
The new head coach, who took over from Scott Robertson earlier this year, has enjoyed a good start by claiming three successive victories in the Nations Championship, but the next few weeks will be another level up.
Rennie opted to give a number of his fringe players a chance, as well as a couple of debutants, but they were tested by the hosts, who kept it tight for most of the match.
Some individuals might have played their way out of contention for the Tests, with suggesting that it shows the All Blacks lack a bit of depth in comparison to the Springboks.
‘Tough footy’ for fringe All Blacks
“That’s what we’re working on,” the New Zealand head coach said. “Rassie’s [Erasmus] been doing that for eight years, we’re a couple of months into it, but we’ve brought over a good squad and not a lot of the guys that played on Friday had big minutes in the Test series.
“That’s pleasing for us; we’ve got some good footy into them, some tough footy, and I think they will be better for that.
“There will be an enormous amount of changes for the side that’s going to play the Sharks on Tuesday, so tours like this are great for us to test and build depth.
“Heading into a World Cup next year, we’re going to know a lot more about the players that we’ve got here and that we use beyond this tour.”
Robertson’s aim was having four players for every position, and while a number of those individuals have been picked by Rennie, he will have different selection preferences.
His uncapped players were picked on the bench on Friday in Siale Lauaki and Josh Jacomb, and neither of them disgraced themselves.
Tighthead Lauaki struggled initially but produced a fantastic final scrum while Jacomb was excellent during his 10 minutes on the field.
There was also a return to the side for Rieko Ioane, who was not selected in the wider training squad for the Nations Championship.
Rennie’s verdict on newbies
“What a great moment for those guys, you play your first game for the All Blacks. They got to wear the jerseys, sing the national anthem, do the Haka and then play in a fantastic stadium,” Rennie said.
“Siale’s a big man, you can see the impact he can have on a game with that last scrum and I think he will be better for the occasion.
“I thought Josh was really composed when he came on so those guys will play a lot more minutes on tour, but we’re rapt for them; it’s a special time for them and their family.
“It was good to have to Rieko back, he finished off a good try and I thought he was a real handful with ball in hand. His versatility helps.
“Obviously he started on the wing and ended up playing a fair chunk of the game at centre. Versatility on this tour will be important for us and it was handy having him on the park.”
READ MORE: Springboks legend: The ‘big issue’ for the All Blacks in South Africa is ‘the way they play’
