OPINION: Springboks v All Blacks — What Went Wrong & Where to Next

The Springboks’ 24-17 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park will feel like somewhat of a missed opportunity for Rassie Erasmus, who had the chance to break the Auckland fortress for the first time in the professional era of rugby. The Boks’ performance, and subsequent changes with Erasmus’ newly announced team for the second test, highlight a few interesting things for the state of the national side.

The cliche of “uncharacteristic errors”

Pundits often throw around the term, but Saturday’s Eden Park battle was riddled with a lot of errors that seemed at odds with what fans are used to. Cheslin Kolbe falling for Emoni Narawa’s dummy pass, Grant Williams dropping the ball off a clean lineout, out-the-back passes missing their target, unsuccessful kick-chases, and an aversion to the breakdown (an area the Boks usually salivate for) seemed to just throw the Springboks off their usual rhythm. Perhaps it’s mental fatigue, or perhaps even physical, but the sheer intensity that the All Blacks came out of the gates with seemed to shellshock the Springboks into a lot of unforced errors.

Catch-up rugby is not the Boks’ strong point, currently

After the test against the Wallabies in Johannesburg, where the Boks were 22 points up and still managed to lose the game, it was a warning sign that the Springboks are out of practice when it comes to playing catch-up rugby when the score is not on their side. The Eden Park test made this even more evident, where the 14-point deficit forced the Springboks into a state of desperation that didn’t bode well for their more conservative style of play.

Fitness?

It was hard to notice the stelwart Springboks looking somewhat out of breath on Saturday at Eden Park. Obviously, it was an extremely draining and tough game to be a part of, but some of the stalwarts — even the tackle-machine that is Pieter-Steph du Toit — looked exhausted. There’s no doubt that Rassie and Andy Edwards’ strength and conditioning program at the Springboks is world-class, but perhaps some of the key players need a break from the intensity of Test rugby. Which leads to the next point…

Fresh faces

The team to face the All Blacks in Wellington for Round 4 of the Rugby Champions has seen a lot of changes. Some new faces move into key positions, along with some players like Damian Willemse, who’s made cameos off the bench in recent games, getting his shot in the No. 12 jersey. Whether this side has been selected out of necessity due to fatigue or based on form, some fresh legs and minds are in dire need for the Bok machine to get rolling again.