South Africa’s Springboks left New Zealand on Saturday with a black eye and their world champion status dented after being bulldozed 35-20 by the All Blacks in Auckland.
It took the All Blacks, who looked like a big bra with roid rage attacking an oumatjie with a stapstoeltjie, just 16 minutes in the Rugby Championship clash to slaan South Africa’s wind uit by smashing their way to a 17-0 lead.
It was lelik. The Boks simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball in the first quarter as they failed to deal with New Zealand’s high kicks, the pace of their game and the brutality of their onslaught.
Slipping a number of first-time tackles, SA let in the first try when NZ wing Will Jordan beat a flat-footed Damian de Allende on his inside to put away Aaron Smith in the fifth minute.
Playing on the back foot, the Boks conceded a number of penalties early on and Richie Mo’unga made it 10-0 in the ninth minute after converting one. NZ flanker Shannon Frizell was the baas bully at the start and bulldozed Willie le Roux on the tryline in the 16th minute to make it 17-0. Wind uit.
Asof dit nie genoeg was nie, South Africa then had a Cheslin Kolbe try controversially disallowed for a lack of downward pressure following a Faf de Klerk cross kick, with a penalty apiece making it 20-3 for New Zealand at the break.
South Africa brought on their Bomb Squad early in the second half and it worked a treat as they clawed their way back to 23-15, with replacement hooker Malcolm Marx scoring from a rolling maul in the 54th minute, before a superb pass by Willie le Roux sent Kolbe flying over Mo’unga in the corner in the 62nd minute. The Boks were back in the game and fans sensed a sensational comeback.
But it wasn’t to be, with All Blacks wing Jordan crossing for his try after collecting a cross kick in the 69th minute to make it 28-15.
When Mo’unga scored New Zealand’s fourth try from five metres out, the scoreboard read 35-15 before Kwagga Smith stole a breakdown ball and then ran in the last try of the match to make it 35-20 and game over.
The Boks now have a week to lick their wounds before hosting Argentina in the final round of the tournament at the end of the month, with log leaders NZ visiting Australia.
All Blacks – Tries: Aaron Smith, Shannon Frizell, Will Jordan and Richie Mo’unga: Conversions: Mo’unga (3); Penalties: Mo’unga (3).
Springboks – Tries: Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe and Kwagga Smith; Conversion: Kolbe; Penalty: Faf de Klerk.