Rennie was last night at pains to point out that he believed much of what Henry said was tongue in cheek, including the statement that Crusaders prop Crockett "got away with murder" in his team's 23-3 victory against Henry's Blues in Christchurch, but it was an issue nonetheless.
The Chiefs coach wasn't moved to make a similar statement about the loosehead prop, but did say: "Everyone knows what Wyatt tries to do at scrum time."
Rennie added: "He angles in. He's a strong lad and he does it well, disrupting the opposition's scrums."
The Blues scrum competed well for the majority of the match at AMI Stadium, until it hit the skids in the final quarter, with the Crusaders gaining a huge advantage. In one scrum the Crusaders walked over the top of the Blues, Ali Williams complaining in vain about the opposition's tactics as Glen Jackson issued a penalty against his team.
That pack disintegration is unlikely to happen at Waikato Stadium on Friday night when the two New Zealand heavyweights clash for the first time this season.
A Ben Afeaki calf strain has opened the door for Ben Tameifuna to make his considerable presence felt for the Chiefs. Officially listed at 137kg but perhaps a little heavier, Tameifuna is an incredibly tough man to shift, and Rennie is confident he will give a good account of himself.
Afeaki has been a revelation for the Chiefs with his work around the field adding to his core scrum and lineout duties, form rewarded by a call-up to the All Blacks environment for the first time. Tameifuna was on the All Blacks' radar last year but has slipped this season, mainly because of his weight issues.
The clash between Crockett, included in Steve Hansen's recent All Blacks camp, and Tameifuna, will be a fascinating one.
So too will be the way referee Steve Walsh officiates. Walsh, a late replacement for the injured Chris Pollock, will be under particular scrutiny after Henry's comments served to further put the spotlight on match officials this season.
Rennie continued a theme when saying he hoped Walsh allowed his team access to quick ball.
He added: "I think Steve Walsh has been doing an excellent job. One of his best games was in the recent Waratahs v Brumbies match where he was very good at allowing the game to flow."
Rennie said he wasn't surprised Israel Dagg had been recalled to fullback after coming off the reserves bench in the past two matches for the Crusaders.
"We always knew he would be involved. He's one of the best fullbacks in the world. Sometimes you want to put the acid on players to get the best out of them. It's no different here."
Blackadder opened the door for Dagg's return by shuffling his midfield. Robbie Fruean has been named on the bench, with Ryan Crotty moving to centre and Tom Taylor from fullback to second-five.
For Rennie, All Blacks flanker Sam Cane returns from a back injury to the bench, with Tanerau Latimer retaining his place at openside. "It's a reward for Lats as much as anything," he said. "He was probably our best player against the Hurricanes last weekend."
Patrick Osborne replaces Lelia Masaga on the right wing for the Chiefs.
Chiefs team to play the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium on Friday, kick-off 7.35pm is: Robbie Robinson, Patrick Osborne, Charlie Ngatai, Bundee Aki, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Matt Vant Leven, Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Craig Clarke (c), Ben Tameifuna, Hika Elliot, Pauliasi Manu. Reserves: Mahonri Schwalger, Toby Smith, Michael Fitzgerald, Sam Cane, Augustine Pulu, Dan Waenga, Lelia Masaga.
Crusaders: Israel Dagg, Tom Marshall, Ryan Crotty, Tom Taylor, Zac Guildford, Dan Carter, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read (c), Matt Todd, George Whitelock, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Wyatt Crockett. Reserves: Ben Funnell/Laurence Corlett, Joe Moody, Dominic Bird, Luke Whitelock, Willi Heinz, Robbie Fruean, Telusa Veianu.
