Joe Marler rubbishes All Blacks scrum claims by disarming the Kiwis' 'smoking gun'

Following South Africa's 33-26 victory over the All Blacks, the post-match narrative became a heated debate over the scrum battle. Head coaches Rassie Erasmus and Dave Rennie openly clashed on social media, with former England prop Joe Marler adding his input through emojis. All Blacks head coach Rennie alleged that South Africa was "walking around" rather than driving through the mark at scrum time, suggesting illegal behavior.

Erasmus staunchly denied the claims, accusing the Kiwis of manufacturing a false narrative to influence referee Angus Gardner and gain an unfair advantage. Despite erasmus’s denial, prominent New Zealand rugby writer Ben Smith posted a video on X attempting to prove Rennie’s point, claiming Smith had footage showing the South African prop Ox Nché using his head to destabilize All Blacks tighthead Tyrel Lomax.

Marler, a renowned scrum technician, disagreed with Smith's analysis, tweeting three yawning emojis and four words: "Not a clue x." This response effectively backed Erasmus’s stance that South Africa was not cheating in the scrum. As the teams prepare for the third and final Test at FNB Stadium in Soweto, Marler's intervention serves as a reminder that most armchair critics should leave the complex set-piece battle to the experts.