Areas requiring Bok improvement mitigate against repeat of 2022 

The Springboks are well aware of what happened in 2022 when the All Blacks were last here, and that is part of the reason that a repeat of the sequence that saw a resounding win followed by chastening defeat might be less likely this time.

The other reason is that although they scored a come from behind 31-27 win over New Zealand that broke a long Kiwi stranglehold over them in Johannesburg, unlike in Mbombela two years ago they did not feel they’d ended the game even close to meeting their performance expectations.

The pendulum has swung quite firmly in South Africa’s favour lately, with the Boks not only seeking what would be a Castle Lager Rugby Championship win at the DHL Cape Town on Saturday, but also a record fourth consecutive win over their traditional foe.

A record, that is, in the professional era, for the Boks did whitewash the All Blacks 4-0 in the 1949 ‘Okey Geffin series’.

FOCUSING ON OWN GAME

And because it has swung, so the expectation has been raised, which could explain what assistant coach Daan Human meant when he spoke at a press conference on Monday about the focus that the Boks will place on their own game as opposed to the threats posed by the All Blacks in the build-up to the return game.

“We did the review and there is a lot of stuff we can work on and get better at,” said Human.

He’s not wrong either, and the fact the Boks struggled defensively against a team that managed to go around them out wide more than has been the case recently, and also made elementary errors with poor lineout work and the odd misdirected contestable kick but still won the game is a reason for confidence.

But Human was also careful of falling into the trap of ignoring the All Black role in the South African error rate.

“We realise they are a quality side and it is tough to have great results in all departments against a quality side,” said the Bok scrum coach.

“They have a quality pack and a scrum that is rated as one of the best in the world and they are guided by quality coaches. That is why the All Blacks are in a good space at the moment. They forced eight scrum penalties in their second game against Argentina. I would not say they are the best in the world, but one of the best. You can’t underestimate the effectiveness of Ireland or ourselves, and also the Argentinians, but they are definitely up there with one of the best.”

DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE AND EXPECTATION TO LAST TIME

It is only the start of the buildup week to the return game, but already the atmosphere is a far cry from what pertained in 2022, when the Boks moved from Nelspruit to Johannesburg and the talk among South African fans and pundits wasn’t about what the result would be in the return but the magnitude of the expected win.

The Boks had after all won 26-10 at the Mbombela Stadium, with the All Blacks fortunate to even come that close.

This time around, there is widespread acceptance of the fact that while the Boks did really well to come through as victors, the result could so easily have gone the other way.


The general apparent Kiwi consensus that the All Blacks dominated the entire first hour might be an exaggeration.

The hosts did have the bounce of the ball go against them on occasions when they were pressing for points, and gifted an intercept try to Jordie Barrett straight after the start to the second half.

With just a bit more of a clinical edge to their game, the world champions could have been leading going into the final quarter rather than chasing the game like they were.

But that still doesn’t undermine the perception that the Boks didn’t play well, and have been left with something to prove at the weekend from an 80 minute performance perspective.

And they have another more recent memory of the All Blacks bouncing back from defeat to go with what they themselves experienced against them in 2022.

“The All Blacks had a massive comeback after the first game against Argentina and they showed in that game that they are a quality team and world class, just like they did when they won in Johannesburg two or three years ago. We expect the same kind of effort from them now. But at the moment our focus is on ourselves and we are working on where we can get better.”

MITIGATING FACTORS

Human agrees with the theory that having two players packing down in the second row that aren’t regulars for the team in that position in the form of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje might have played a role in the initial teething problems experienced in his field of expertise - the set scrums.

“I wouldn’t say it weakened us, but we have versatile players in a lot of positions. Pieter-Steph started at No4 lock before moving to No5, and then he went to No7. All of that might have had an influence (in any scrumming dysfunction). But we took the decision (on those selections) and we felt those players delivered what we expected from them.”

Human wouldn’t say how much the team might change this week as the quest to spread the selection net to create depth continues, but scotched any suggestion that being on the cusp of the Championship title, and almost racing certainties to win silverware even if they lose, would detract from the hunger to win.

“We do have to build depth but right now we are not looking at 2027, we are looking at the next game, which is Saturday. We will select a side to have a proper go against New Zealand. The team hasn’t been picked yet, we are still working on that, but we are trying to pick the best side possible to beat the All Blacks again.”

The Bok team will be announced on Thursday instead of in the usual Tuesday slot.