Rassie Erasmus delivers verdict after Springboks stunned by All Blacks
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Dominant.
Rassie Erasmus has delivered his verdict after the Springboks were beaten 33-16 by the All Blacks at Ellis Park, admitting New Zealand were dominant in most areas of the game.
South Africa led 13-12 at half-time and enjoyed significant scrum dominance for much of the contest, but Dave Rennie’s side pulled away during the closing stages to take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.
The result also sees New Zealand replace South Africa at the top of the world rankings, something Erasmus was more than happy to lean into afterwards.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to sit here and say there was anything poor about the All Blacks, because you get a hiding like this, you get soundly beat by a team that is probably now number one in the world,” Erasmus said.
“It’s nice now to go into the next game as the underdogs.”
The Springboks caused New Zealand considerable problems at scrum time and repeatedly opted to keep the pressure on rather than take points.
Erasmus praised Wilco Louw’s performance but conceded South Africa needed to impose themselves in more than one area.
“I think we were dominant there, but it doesn’t help you as just one part of the game; we want a few parts of the game to be dominant. The All Blacks were probably dominant in most sections of the game.”
One crucial moment arrived late in the contest when South Africa were penalised at a scrum, with Erasmus agreeing that it proved to be a significant turning point.
“I think it was the right call by the referee. Maybe our suggestion should have been to take the three points, because we were only a few points down at that stage. But they scrummed really well there…”
Despite the final margin, Erasmus felt his side had been firmly in the contest for much of the opening hour before New Zealand made them pay.
“I thought up until minute 50, we were really dominating territory, possession, and we felt we were really in the game. Against a class team like New Zealand, if you don’t pull through, they give you a reply.”
The All Blacks eventually scored five tries to South Africa’s one to end the Springboks’ 12-Test winning run and take the early advantage in the series.
The two sides meet again in Cape Town next Saturday, with Erasmus and the newly-crowned world No.1 All Blacks now preparing for the second instalment of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
