Graham Henry and Peter de Villiers will meet with referee Matt Goddard in an attempt to resolve the public spat between the All Blacks and the Springboks ahead of this weekend's Saturday's Tri-Nations clash between the two sides.

The 19-8 win for New Zealand at Carisbrook in Dunedin last weekend has led to some scathing criticism from both camps after it was marred by some ugly scenes, most notably All Blacks lock Brad Thorn's challenge on South African captain John Smit.

Thorn has been suspended for one game after he lifted Smit and dumped him on the ground long after the whistle had gone. Smit is out injured as a result and the Springboks are aggrieved by the lenient penalty meted out to Thorn.

"Just imagine Bakkies Botha doing something similar to Richie McCaw. World rugby would have come to a standstill," Smit was quoted as saying by the Wellington-based newspaper.

"One almost gets the idea that anyone who is not from New Zealand does not have the same rights as someone who plays for the All Blacks."

The Dominion Postin New Zealand reported today that the two coaches are to meet to discuss the matter and Springbok claims of illegal scrimmaging from their opponents.

South Africa's de Villiers called New Zealand's scrimmaging in the match illegal, prompting an angry response from New Zealand scrum coach Mike Cron.

De Villiers argued that All Blacks loosehead Tony Woodcock's tactics were illegal, claiming he would step outside the line of the scrum to change the angle of the engagement then use it to bore in on his opposite.

Cron, however, insisted: "It is legal. I would give up if I coached All Black illegalities. I would chuck it away.

"I try and teach our scrum coaches in New Zealand to be purists of the art of scrummaging.

"Over four years I think every team that we have put out has portrayed a good aggression, a good technique and wants to stay within the laws.

"If you do things within those legal boundaries it is the strongest and safest technique. It is negative otherwise," Cron told the New Zealand Herald.

Henry also fired back at the South Africans, claiming that outhalf Daniel Carter had been the target of several off the ball incidents, including a number of shuddering late tackles by his opposite Butch James.