The 'Bomb Squad'—a term coined by Rassie Erasmus during the Springboks' 2019 World Cup campaign—comprises a bench heavily skewed towards forwards, often featuring a 6-2 split between forwards and backs. This method was instrumental in several high-profile victories for South Africa, including a decisive win over the All Blacks during a World Cup warm-up match and the final itself.
Historically, the All Blacks have preferred a more balanced 5-3 bench split. Previous coach Ian Foster experimented briefly with the 6-2 configuration, but largely in response to specific match conditions rather than as a regular strategy. Scott Robertson, who succeeded Foster, reverted to the traditional split throughout his tenure.
However, Rennie's approach in his initial matches of the Nations Championship has been traditional, but he has disclosed plans to pilot the 'Bomb Squad' setup in the upcoming games in South Africa against provincial teams like the Stormers, Sharks, and Bulls, before the tests against the Springboks commence. "We’ve discussed many aspects. We've already picked the squads for the first four matches in South Africa," Rennie shared, emphasizing a thoughtful approach to player selection and strategy.
"We’ve certainly talked about 6-2 splits, and the plan is to do one of those in South Africa in one of the provincial games."
When queried about possibly using a 7-1 split, Rennie responded with a light-hearted remark, suggesting even a 4-4 split as a counter-thought. "Oh, 7-1. What about 4-4? Let’s go the other way. Let’s be innovative," he joked, adding, "I don’t think Barnes-y [All Blacks assistant Neil Barnes] will be excited about 4-4, but definitely 6-2. We’ve got the versatility. We think we can do that."
The discussion about bench strategy coincided with intriguing selection decisions by Rennie for the All Blacks' lineup, particularly the inclusion of Tupou Vaa’i at blindside flanker against Ireland in their first home game of the Nations Championship. This move, shifting Vaa’i from the second row to the flank, has been interpreted as a tactical adjustment in anticipation of facing the Springboks' robust packs.
"It gives us a bigger lineout, a bigger pack. We feel he’s got the skill set that suits what we want and are keen to give him another crack there,"
said Rennie, reflecting on Vaa’i's adaptation to his new role. "We’ll judge things as we go. But we’re going to come across some big packs throughout the year, and he’s athletic enough to play on the blindside but a very good lineout forward and gives us another strong option there."As the All Blacks gear up for their challenging tour, the rugby world will be keenly observing how these strategic shifts under Rennie's stewardship might redefine their gameplay against the formidable Springboks.
