The ‘pressure’ Dave Rennie has opted not to ‘heap’ on the Springboks and his confident 2027 prediction about his All Blacks
All Blacks boss Dave Rennie is up against Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus, inset, this Saturday in Johannesburg
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has steered clear of claiming there is more pressure on the Springboks than his side to open the Greatest Rivalry series with a Test win this Saturday in Johannesburg.
New Zealand have enjoyed an unbeaten six-game start to Rennie’s tenure after he succeeded Scott Robertson in the role.
Home Test victories were secured in July versus France, Italy and Ireland in the Nations Championship and that promise has been built on with tour wins in recent weeks over the Stormers, the Sharks and the Bulls, three of South Africa’s franchise sides.
However, they are now preparing to take on the Springboks at Ellis Park, the stadium Rennie described as a rugby mecca for South Africans.
“It’s such a big challenge, but we’re loving it…”
This weekend’s series opener is a 62,500 sell-out, with home fans turning out expecting to see their team extend its current 12-Test winning streak.
The situation suggests the pressure is mostly on the reigning double World Cup champions to deliver, but Rennie opted against branding the hosts as favourites to get off to a winning start.
As if there was more pressure on the Springboks to get the job done this weekend as the match was being staged at a sold-out Ellis Park, Rennie replied at his team announcement media briefing: “Oh, I’m not going to try and heap that on them and play mind games.
“Look, I’m sure they’re excited to play at home in front of a sold-out crowd. We’re really excited to play there as well. It’s one of the toughest challenges in world rugby, and so we’ll embrace that.”
The new All Blacks boss instead admitted that the challenge of winning in South Africa was the ultimate for him as a rugby coach. “Oh, I would say absolutely, you know, because it’s such a big challenge, but we’re loving it.
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“We’re working hard, but we’re connecting really well. We have got a lot of great people, players and staff. It’s important that we enjoy the week,” he explained, adding how useful it was to have had warm-up matches on South African soil rather than coming straight in to play a Test match.
“It’s been brilliant. And look, I always felt that. We’re well aware of how tough a tour it is, but to get 44 players here, it’s been brilliant.
“They have really immersed in the culture that we’re trying to develop and the game model. Yeah, we’re confident we’d leave here in a much stronger place heading in 12 months out from a World Cup. So, it’s been great.
“Even playing these provincial games, everyone gets to play, so everyone feels part of it, and there’s been some outstanding performances. Hence the reason why the side’s been difficult to pick. So, we’re loving it.”
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Saturday’s Test series opener at Ellis Park will be followed by three further matches against the Springboks, culminating in what is hoped won’t be a dead rubber finale in the American city of Baltimore on September 12.
How important will winning the opening Test be towards determining the series winners? “It’ll help. I guess whoever doesn’t win the first Test will say, you know, it doesn’t matter because we still got three to go. So I’m sure both sides want to start well. We see it as being a really tough tour, so drawing first blood would help.”
