The Springboks’ bench powered the world champions to a comeback win.
South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi was awarded a contentious first-half try.
The All Blacks were on the wrong side of a lopsided penalty count.
Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
OPINION
When even Stephen Jones of London’s Sunday Times is raving about a test that doesn’t involve Northern Hemisphere teams, you know South Africa’s31-27 win over the All Blacks in Johannesburg was special.
There were two superb running tries from Caleb Clarke, massive goalkicking by Springboks first five Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the thin air at 1750m, and as is often the case when these teams meet, a blindingly obvious error by the match officials.
The good outweighed the bad and ugly
When your own TAB has you as rank outsiders, when an admittedly unscientific online poll suggests two out of three Kiwis expected a loss, for the All Blacks to be leading after 75 minutes in the Ellis Park cauldron was, as much as online trolls will disagree, a hell of an effort.
Whether we like it or not, the Boks are the best team in world rugby. To run them close, while disappointing, gives every reason to believe that at sea level in Cape Town, there’s a chance of victory in the second test on Sunday.
It wasn’t a try
Having spent 10 minutes pausing, rewinding and watching over and over again the try awarded to Boks hooker Bongo Mbonambi in the 16th minute, there is clearly space between him and the ball as he loses control of it near the line.
“If I was [referee] Andrew Brace,” a former senior referee said to me, “I’d be really upset that the Television Match Official [TMO, who was Brian MacNeice] didn’t tell me they needed to have a look at the replay.”
If you lose control of the ball, as Mbonambi did on the way to the ground, it’s a knock-on. And no try. Although World Rugby is urging referees to take more control to speed up the game, a TMO is still perfectly entitled to tell a referee there’s possibly a problem. MacNeice stayed silent.
Was it the winning or losing of the game? We’ll never know. But well done All Blacks coach Scott Robertson for not entering the potential minefield of criticising the officials after the game.
Scott Robertson fronts media post-match at Ellis Park. Photo / Photosport
Breaking it down
The area that caused the All Blacks the most strife was the breakdown. Sam Cane and Ethan Blackadder were relentless, but so were the Boks.
The brutal 14-5 penalty count in favour of South Africa and the binning of All Blacks prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi both sprang from technique at the breakdown.
The referee for the next test in Cape Town, Englishman Matt Carley, was a lightning rod for criticism at the World Cup last year, when he seemed incapable of giving offending Welsh players a yellow card in their 32-26 win against Fiji.
Former England captain Dylan Hartley said the Fijians showed Carley too much respect and should have “pressed, reminded, questioned and leant on” the referee.
That sounds like several steps too far but at least trying to find a wavelength with Carley is a task the All Blacks probably need to take seriously.
Changes?
It’s hard to see the All Blacks making even minor changes for Sunday’s second test.
As someone who felt the day had come when Cortez Ratima needed to be passed the halfback’s jersey by TJ Perenara, I’m now wondering if the age and cunning of Perenara is still keeping him ahead of the youth and energy of Ratima.
There was also a reminder that when it comes to head-on defence, Sam Cane is the man you need at the hugely physical levels demanded in tests.
Codie Taylor in action at Ellis Park. Photo / Getty Images
All Blacks player of the match
Hooker Codie Taylor was in the middle of a rock-solid front row. His throwing to the lineout was impeccable. He ran with vigour and pace in the open. And he expertly notched his 21st test try in the seventh minute from a rolling maul.
In a close second place for New Zealand was Caleb Clarke, nervelessly accurate under the high ball and excitement personified when he found a hint of space to run in.
Up off the canvas
The Wallabies, after two home defeats to South Africa, showed they’re not down and out with a 20-19 win against Argentina in fierce downpours in La Plata.
The benefits of being coached by Joe Schmidt, a man with a keen rugby intelligence and innate decency, can’t be fully measured until Australia play the All Blacks in Sydney and Wellington this month. But even the promise of an improved Wallabies team is a bonus for Southern Hemisphere rugby.
