Scott Robertson’s honeymoon period as All Blacks coach is officially over after New Zealand suffered a fourth straight defeat to old foes South Africa – their worst run of results against the Springboks for 75 years.
Second-half tries by captain Siya Kolisi and hooker Malcolm Marx saw the Springboks outmuscle Robertson’s side in Cape Town. Ill-discipline cost the All Blacks as Marx crossed for the winning try with New Zealand prop Tyrel Lomax in the sin bin after obstructing Cheslin Kolbe seven minutes from full time.
Robertson had responded to the 31-27 defeat the week before in Johannesburg – when the All Blacks blew a 27-17 lead by leaking two late tries – with five changes to his starting side, dropping veterans Beauden Barrett and TJ Perenara. The first half was an arm-wrestle between the superpowers, which the All Blacks shaded.
New Zealand made a strong start in the shadow of Table Mountain with Chiefs scrum-half Cortez Ratima – starting ahead of Perenara- driving their attacks. New Zealand dominated early on as the Springboks struggled to get out of their half.
All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor was brought down just short of the line after a thundering run, but Springboks No 8 Jasper Wiese being shown a yellow card for holding back Ratima, who was running up in support.
Damian McKenzie stroked over the resulting penalty, but the All Blacks were also reduced to 14 men for ten minutes just moments later when winger Sevu Reece was yellow carded for taking out Willie Le Roux in the air. As only he can do, Cheslin Kolbe then motored through the All Blacks defence after Kolisi mopped up scrappy ball
from a line-out.
Kolbe hit the gas to swerve through New Zealand’s ranks. Only a last-gasp tackle by Sam Cane hauled down the flying Springbok, who got his pass away but Pieter-Steph du Toit knocked on as the chance went begging. With both teams back to 15 players, New Zealand extended their lead when McKenzie stroked over his second
penalty with nearly half an hour gone after Springboks scrum-half Grant Williams was guilty of not rolling away at a ruck when he halted a Jordie Barrett charge off an All Blacks attacking scrum.
The Springboks got their first points on the board soon after when Ardie Savea was penalised for poaching possession at a ruck and Handre Pollard fired the ball between the posts. The All Blacks went into half-time 9-3 ahead when McKenzie landed another penalty. The home side lifted their game for the second half with Marx hauled down short before giant Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth grounded the ball just shy of the line. The pressure stayed on and the All Blacks defence buckled.
Kolisi bagged the first try of the game with nearly 50 minutes gone when the Springboks captain took a short pass from a ruck and powered his way over with the conversion putting South Africa ahead for the first time. Their lead was extended to 13-9 moments later when Sevu Reece gathered up a charged down kick in an offside
position and replacement Springboks fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed the resulting penalty with his first touch of the game.
McKenzie trimmed the lead back to 13-12 with his fourth penalty of the game after Rieko Ioane and Reece were both hauled down after strong runs down the flanks.
It was advantage New Zealand midway through the second half when Le Roux was shown a yellow card after fumbling an intended interception as Beauden Barrett tried to put Reece away. With 17 minutes left, McKenzie hit the post with his attempt from the resulting penalty, but the All Blacks battered the Springboks line after Jordie Barrett gathered the rebound.
South Africa only cleared their lines after a fumbled pass by New Zealand allowed replacement Springboks loose forward Kwagga Smith to charge away. A sense of desperation descended on both sides with time running out. McKenzie squandered a second chance to put New Zealand back in front with 10 minutes to go when he fired his penalty shot agonisingly wide of the post. The All Blacks could only watch as the game slipped out of their grasp.
Lomax was sin-binned for using his shoulder to block Kolbe, who was sprinting after a kick, and the penalty which followed was drilled into the corner. Marx nailed his line-out throw and bid his time at the back of the maul, making his charge for the line only when
Reece was out of position to crash over unopposed out wide. Feinberg-Mngomezulu couldn’t convert and Kolbe missed a drop goal attempt, but the Springboks finished the game deserved winners.
The broad smile at the final whistle on the face of South Africa’s head coach Rassie Erasmus was in stark contrast to the bitter disappointment in Scott Robertson’s expression. The defeat puts New Zealand out of contention for the Rugby Championship title while South Africa sit in pole position after four wins from four.
South Africa: 18
TRIES: 2 (Kolisi 49’, Marx 74’)
CONVERSIONS: 1 (Pollard 50′)
PENALTIES: 2 (Pollard 32’, Feinberg-Mngomezulu 54’)
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 2 (Wiese 15’, Le Roux 63’)
RED CARDS: 0
15. Willie le Roux, 14. Canan Moodie, 13. Jesse Kriel, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Handre Pollard, Grant Williams, 8. Jasper Wiese, 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6. Siya Kolisi (capt), 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Bongi Mbonambi, 1. Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16. Malcolm Marx, 17. Gerhard Steenekamp, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. Kwagga Smith, 20. Elrigh Louw, 21. Jaden Hendrikse, 22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23. Lukhanyo Am.
New Zealand: 12
TRIES: 0
CONVERSIONS: 0
PENALTIES: 4 (McKenzie 15’,29’ 40+2’, 59’)
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 2 (
RED CARDS: 0
15. Will Jordan, 14. Sevu Reece, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12.Jordie Barrett, 11. Mark Tele’a, 10. Damian McKenzie, 9. Cortez Ratima, 8. Ardie Savea, 7. Sam Cane, 6. Wallace Sititi, 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 4. Scott Barrett (capt), 3. Tyrel Lomax, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Tamaiti Williams
Replacements: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18. Fletcher Newell, 19. Sam Darry, 20. Luke Jacobson, 21. TJ Perenara, 22.
Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Beauden Barrett
Robertson rues missed opportunities as pressure mounts
Halfway through his first season as head coach, Robertson has a record of four wins and three losses – well below the standard expected from an All Blacks boss. When he was given the top job after seven straight Super Rugby titles with The Crusaders, critics pointed to his lack of international experience and Robertson had admitted being in charge of the All Blacks means learning on the job. Three defeats in his last four game is a shock to the system – both for him and All Blacks fans.
“It was a hell of a test match, congratulations to South Africa, they know how to get it done,” Robertson told reporters in the post-match press conference.
“The black jersey demands the best of us and finishing what we’re created. There are small margins in Test footy. We had two opportunities to win and we didn’t take them.”
All Blacks No 8 Ardie Savea admitted the players were ‘gutted’ to taste another defeat to the Springboks. “We had the opportunities to close it out and finish it, but we didn’t. It’s a testament to the Springboks and what they
do. The boys are really gutted.”
The teams will see more of each other in future with New Zealand reportedly set for an eight-match tour of South Africa in 2026, including three Tests. Both teams have come a long way since All Blacks scored 57 points against the Springboks in 2016, then again in 2017.
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus was gracious in victory.
“It was nice but they have had big scores against us and six times in a row they have beaten us,” he pointed out. “It’s nothing to brag about, because they have done worse to us. But it was special.”
Springboks skipper Kolisi admitted the half-time talk had been tough with South Africa 9-3 down at the break. “We didn’t start the way we wanted to and the coach was quite honest with us. At the start of the second half we did what we wanted. This game was really big for us.”
All Blacks defeats cuts deep with the New Zealand public and MP Willie Jackson led the calls demanding Robertson – nicknamed Razor – sharpen up.
“Razor needs to pick his game up,” Jackson grumbled on Facebook. “His ability to read a game and select the right team is very much under question and at the moment, he is tracking no better than ‘Fozzy’ (Ian Foster) who took us to a World Cup final.”
The Rugby Championship table is painful reading for Robertson with New Zealand in third place – 11 points adrift of the Springboks – with only Australia behind the All Blacks. The two Tests against the Wallabies for the Bledisloe Cup later this month are now must-win games for Robertson.
Should the All Blacks surrender the trophy to the Wallabies – which New Zealand has held since 2003 – the knives will be razor sharp.