Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says that he is confused about contrasting refereeing interpretations at the breakdown.

The coach believes the new laws are benefiting the defending team rather than the attacking team and that it's not the way it should be.

"I have a big problem with the breakdowns and how they are being managed. I don't understand them any more. I don't understand the laws around them. It is getting extremely difficult to play," De Villiers said at a media conference in London on Monday.

"There were a handful of occasions against Scotland where we were right on their tryline and we were penalised for going off our feet when the Springbok players that were pulled off their feet were having no influence on the play, in any case," he said.

De Villiers also feels that the current interpretations is taking away some of South Africa's traditional strengths.

"It is not easy for us to play these days because the laws are taking away our traditional strengths. There are no driving mauls any more and now they are making the breakdown so soft.

"The collisions used to be a strength of ours."

Scotland were also penalised five times in a row early in the second half by English referee David Pearson, which changed the momentum of the game.

"The Scotland captain said that he did not know what to tell his players any more and John Smit also was unsure of what to do," said De Villiers.

De Villiers further said that pre-match meetings with referees were sometimes fruitless because often the referee would say one thing in the meeting and then referee something else.

"It is frustrating. You send in reports and then the feedback is that the referee had his best game they can remember."

Welshman Nigel Owens will be refereeing his first Test involving the Springboks on Saturday at Twickenham.

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