That appears to be exactly what Springboks assistant coach Felix Jones did on Tuesday when he answered a question about what feedback the Springbok management had received from the three franchises that have so far played New Zealand on the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
Jones bemoaned the All Blacks’ tactics at the maul and also their perceived tendency to lead with the shoulder into clear-outs at the ruck, perhaps giving Saturday’s first Test referee Matthew Carley and his team something to look out for at Ellis Park.
“A couple of things caught the franchises out and a couple of themes were consistent across the feedback,” Jones told reporters. “One was around the breakdown, where they experienced tucked shoulders going in, which the franchises weren’t happy with, and a reversed-arm non-wrapping action.
“The other was that the franchises were actually quite happy with the opportunities they created, getting into scoring positions around 10m out, with multiple lineout opportunities there, but they were frustrated they couldn’t score from the driving maul.
“It’s tough when there’s someone pulling or trying to lift a leg or going off their feet. Those were probably the two main themes.
“We’re all for the physical side of the game, as everyone is aware. We just want it to be within the laws. So, we’re aware of it going into the game.
“We’ve coached against (All Blacks coach) Dave Rennie with Glasgow and with Australia, and the word ‘brutal’ follows his coaching, and there are some amazing elements to how quickly they get their ruck speed going.
“But World Rugby’s number one priority is safety, so we just want to make sure that physicality and brutality stay within the laws.”
New Zealand have also had their say in the media, suggesting the Springboks would try to slow the game down on Saturday to negate their high-tempo style.
So the tit-for-tat rhetoric ahead of what should be a colossal four-match series has started in earnest.