Ex-Boks question scrum call in 33-16 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test

New Zealand defeated South Africa 33-16 in the opening Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at Ellis Park. Former Springbok forwards Schalk Burger and Hanyani Shimange believe a disputed scrum decision in the 55th minute should not have produced a penalty.

South Africa had selected the scrum from penalties on three occasions when replacement loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised by referee Matthew Carley. Carley ruled that Steenekamp had moved around the set piece, but Burger and Shimange later argued that the scrum should have been stopped and reset instead.

Shimange’s assessment was that Steenekamp kept his connection with hooker Malcolm Marx throughout the engagement. He also believed New Zealand tighthead George Bower had driven in underneath South African loosehead Wilco Louw, causing the scrum to turn rather than showing clear forward control from the All Blacks.

That interpretation led Shimange to conclude that the correct outcome would have been a reset. The penalty changed the direction of the match, with New Zealand gaining ground and momentum after the decision before completing a 17-point victory.

Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield reached a similar conclusion while reviewing the incident. He said Bower’s angle had caused the movement in the scrum, while South Africa’s front row had remained straight and appeared to be moving forward before the penalty was awarded against the hosts.

The decision has therefore become the main point of debate around the first Test. South Africa’s defeat leaves the result of the series opener attached to a scrum call that three former internationals believe should have led to another engagement rather than an All Blacks penalty.