Rassie Erasmus says the All Blacks’ unexpected approach in the tackle contributed to the Springboks’ high error rate at Ellis Park on Saturday. SIMON BORCHARDT reports.
The Boks suffered a 33-16 defeat in the first Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series after leading 13-12 at half-time. They dominated territory and possession for much of the opening 50 minutes, only to repeatedly fail to turn excursions into the All Blacks’ 22 into points.
A prime example came late in the first half when hooker Malcolm Marx appeared set to score from a lineout maul, only for All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett to strip the ball from him in the tackle.
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Erasmus admitted the tactic was used effectively throughout the match and had caught the Boks by surprise.
“They had a very clever tactic – 100% legal – they were stripping in the tackle,” he said.
“They didn’t tackle like we practised that we thought they would. They were normally either pushing down or top tackles, and in this game they had a lot of strips.
“Even the try – or the non-try – when we mauled and the ball was stripped [off Marx] right over the touchline. And the one where Jasper [Wiese] got pushed into Grant [Williams] and the ball got knocked on there.
“So a lot of [the handling errors] were because of the good work by New Zealand. The ball wasn’t slippery, we can’t use that as an excuse.
“We’re not an inexperienced team that played. It’s probably the pressure that they put on us at the different loose-play breakdowns and so on.
“So, ja, we didn’t do well there and they did great.”
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The Boks also failed to capitalise on their scrum dominance early in the second half.
They won two scrum penalties and a penalty for offside in quick succession and opted for another scrum on all three occasions. On the third, with the Boks trailing 19-16 and having turned down three points that could have levelled the scores, replacement loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised.
“Maybe the instruction from the top, or the suggestion, should have been to take the three points because we were only three points down at that stage,” Erasmus admitted.
“They scrummed really well there and from then on the momentum shifted, without a doubt.”
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The All Blacks then scored two converted tries as the Boks were made to pay for not taking their chances.
“Ja, it is disappointing, and that’s probably the thing which New Zealand are great at. They really know how to stop you when they’re inside their 22 in different ways,” said Erasmus.
“Be it stripping the ball, be it contesting the ball on the ground, be it harassing the nine within the laws. I’m not saying they’re doing it outside the laws. We couldn’t handle that.
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“I don’t want to be quoted the wrong way, but I thought up until minute 50 we were really dominating territory and possession, and we felt we were really in the game.
“But a class team like New Zealand, if you don’t convert, they give you a proper hiding.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post ‘Clever’ All Blacks tactic caught Boks off-guard appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Rassie Erasmus says the All Blacks’ unexpected approach in the tackle contributed to the Springboks’ high error rate at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The post ‘Clever’ All Blacks tactic caught Boks off-guard appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
