Head coach Dave Rennie insists there wasn’t much separating New Zealand and the Springboks in Saturday’s loss for the All Blacks at FNB Stadium, reports CLINTON VAN DER BERG.
“I think the Springboks got a fair bit of momentum in the middle of the second half,” said Rennie after the Boks won 29-24 for a 2-1 lead in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, heading into next Saturday’s fourth and final Test in Baltimore.
The teams were locked 12-12 at half-time after a highly contested opening 40 minutes, before tries from Jesse Kriel and Malcolm Marx and the boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the second half secured victory for Rassie Erasmus’ men.
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“We were able to play at a high tempo in the first half and we saw a lot of their big men struggling with that,” Rennie added.
“We were keen to make that pay in the second half, but we made a few errors that slowed the game down into scrum penalties and gave them field position.
“There was a period where they were able to dominate us at set-piece, win scraps and get their mauls going, and they got well in front during that spell.
“It’s frustrating because there was a lot of effort out there, we just weren’t quite clinical enough in the first half, and we couldn’t wrestle momentum back in the second.”
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Despite the result, Rennie believes his troops weren’t outclassed and was proud of their overall performance. “I don’t think there was much in it, even in the first Test, which we won convincingly on the scoreboard in the end,” he said.
“It comes down to key moments. But I still don’t think the gap between the two teams is very big at all.
“I’m really proud of the effort, our boys worked bloody hard tonight. It’s hard when you’ve lost a Test, it’s easier to reflect on the negatives.
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“I can guarantee the changing room is pretty gutted right now, there are a lot of heads down in there, but our mindset will be to bounce back next week.
“They’re champions for a reason, they were strong up front and played some good footy tonight,” Rennie added. “We made a few errors that allowed them to play. But that gap is not big at all.”
Skipper Ardie Savea has been ruled out of the trip to the US with a shoulder injury while outside centre Quinn Tupaea will be assessed after a knee scare.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Rennie: The gap between us not big at all appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Head coach Dave Rennie insists there wasn’t much separating New Zealand and the Springboks in Saturday’s loss for the All Blacks at FNB Stadium.
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