In the aftermath of the Springboks' record-breaking victory over the All Blacks in Wellington, former Springboks hooker Hanyani Shimange, also known as 'Shimmy', has stirred the pot with his take on the refereeing saga that has shadowed the teams since their first encounter in Auckland. Shimange articulated his views on 'The Verdict' podcast, pinpointing the officiating adjustments and tactical mishaps that led to New Zealand's hefty loss.
Shimange was critical of the All Blacks' failure to acknowledge the favorable refereeing they received in the Eden Park Test, which South Africa lost 24-17. "When they beat us in the first Test, no one spoke about the refereeing and said: 'Listen, there was a bit of dodginess here. We won the game but there were things that went our way'," Shimange revealed. He suggested that the refereeing in the subsequent match, led by Nika Amashukeli, was more balanced, which heavily influenced the outcome.
"This time the ref was a lot better, he penalised certain things, we got reward from the scrum and then the chickens came home to roost properly."
While officiating was a focal point of Shimange's critique, he also questioned the All Blacks' approach to the high ball and kicking game, areas where they've consistently underperformed throughout 2025. "New Zealand for some reason can't catch a high ball, I don’t know whether it’s a coaching error or whatever, and they cannot win the kicking game," he stated, highlighting a glaring weakness that the Springboks exploited to dominate the Rugby Championship clash.
Former Boks flanker Schalk Burger also chimed in, underscoring the stark contrast in territorial advantage between the two tests. "If you take anything out of the two Test matches, we had 13 entries in the 22 in the first game, they had four and scored three tries," Burger noted, emphasizing the efficiency of South Africa's play.
"We had 17 entries on the weekend, that’s 30 entries in the two games, and we scored eight tries."
Burger additionally pointed out a shift in the All Blacks' strategy under coach Scott Robertson, which failed to pay dividends. "They went side to side and I think that was their plan. The first Test match was, 'How do we get a result?' The second Test match was, 'How do we prove a point?'" he explained. According to him, New Zealand's attempt to be more expansive backfired, leaving them vulnerable for most of the match.
The Springboks' tactical mastery and more equitable officiating have certainly reshaped the narrative around these two rugby powerhouses as they continue to battle for supremacy on the international stage.
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In the aftermath of the Springboks' record-breaking victory over the All Blacks in Wellington, former Springboks hooker Hanyani Shimange, also known as 'Shimmy', has stirred the pot with his take on the refereeing saga that has shadowed the teams since their first encounter in Auckland. Shimange articulated his views on 'The Verdict' podcast, pinpointing the officiating adjustments and tactical mishaps that led to New Zealand's hefty loss.
Shimange was critical of the All Blacks' failure to acknowledge the favorable refereeing they received in the Eden Park Test, which South Africa lost 24-17. "When they beat us in the first Test, no one spoke about the refereeing and said: 'Listen, there was a bit of dodginess here. We won the game but there were things that went our way'," Shimange revealed. He suggested that the refereeing in the subsequent match, led by Nika Amashukeli, was more balanced, which heavily influenced the outcome.
"This time the ref was a lot better, he penalised certain things, we got reward from the scrum and then the chickens came home to roost properly."
While officiating was a focal point of Shimange's critique, he also questioned the All Blacks' approach to the high ball and kicking game, areas where they've consistently underperformed throughout 2025. "New Zealand for some reason can't catch a high ball, I don’t know whether it’s a coaching error or whatever, and they cannot win the kicking game," he stated, highlighting a glaring weakness that the Springboks exploited to dominate the Rugby Championship clash.
Former Boks flanker Schalk Burger also chimed in, underscoring the stark contrast in territorial advantage between the two tests. "If you take anything out of the two Test matches, we had 13 entries in the 22 in the first game, they had four and scored three tries," Burger noted, emphasizing the efficiency of South Africa's play.
"We had 17 entries on the weekend, that’s 30 entries in the two games, and we scored eight tries."
Burger additionally pointed out a shift in the All Blacks' strategy under coach Scott Robertson, which failed to pay dividends. "They went side to side and I think that was their plan. The first Test match was, 'How do we get a result?' The second Test match was, 'How do we prove a point?'" he explained. According to him, New Zealand's attempt to be more expansive backfired, leaving them vulnerable for most of the match.
The Springboks' tactical mastery and more equitable officiating have certainly reshaped the narrative around these two rugby powerhouses as they continue to battle for supremacy on the international stage.