All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea was relieved to not cop any punishment for a dubious tackle on Bok rival Jasper Wiese on Saturday, but boss Dave Rennie insisted it was fair.
The All Blacks held on for a 33-16 win over the Springboks in the opening Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry at Ellis Park, moving 1-0 up in the series ahead of Tuesday’s final tour match against the Lions and next Saturday’s rematch in Cape Town.
Savea’s shoulder-to-head collision with fellow No 8 Wiese in the second half was reviewed but escaped a yellow card from referee Matthew Carley.
“I’ll be pretty biased tonight; I’m happy with the decision. I was nervous, but they made the decision, they made the call, and it worked in our favour,” he told reporters.
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Rennie backed the officials, breaking down the technical detail behind the no-card verdict.
“Technically, it’s the right call. You’ll see in the footage that when he hits him, his head comes forward. That means the first impact’s on the body, then the head comes forward. If the head goes back, the first impact is straight on the head.
“It’s really good refereeing, and good to see at this level.”
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Rennie also credited All Blacks defence coach Tana Umaga for helping to restrict the South Africans to a single try.
“Tana and his defence group have done a great job. We’ve got a lot of guys working hard for each other. You’re doing well to keep South Africa to one try, so it was a big defensive effort.”
Rennie, unbeaten in seven matches since replacing Scott Robertson this year, was wary of taking the result for granted.
“It’s massive,” he noted. “You’ve got a leg up [in the series]. Obviously, it doesn’t guarantee anything, and we know they’re such a good side.
“Next week’s going to be just as tough. It’s nice to be one up, and we’ll enjoy a quiet beer, but we’ll turn our focus quickly to the Lions.”
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Rennie also reflected on the significance of the win for a New Zealand squad still finding its feet under him.
“It’s not about me; I’m happy for the players. It’s tough to win at Ellis Park against a high-quality side, and I’m proud. But we’re still in our infancy.”
Savea closed by paying tribute to the travelling Kiwi support.
“I got pretty emotional when I was talking post-game here … We talk about not only playing for ourselves, but for the people back at home. It’s a big honour to see the support.”
Did the referee get this decision right?
Ardie Savea’s high tackle on Jasper Wiese was not called for a yellow card
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The post Ardie on Jasper hit: I was nervous appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea was relieved to not cop any punishment for a dubious tackle on Bok rival Jasper Wiese on Saturday, but boss Dave Rennie insisted it was fair.
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