Three games down, two to go for the All Blacks before Rugby World Cup 2015. Kris Shannon tracks the winners and losers from the victory over South Africa.
Winners:
A couple of men will feel much better about their World Cup prospects than they have at any other stage of the season. Charles Piutau was brilliant filling the giant boots of Julian Savea, picking up a deserved man-of-the-match award after providing menace with ball in hand and assuredness on defence. And Lima Sopoaga rewarded the faith placed in him, handling the red-hot atmosphere of Ellis Park with aplomb and never showing any debut nerves. The first-five largely kicked well and played a pivotal part in the Ben Smith's crucial try right before the break, displaying solidity and spark on both sides of the ball.
Progress report: Week one
Progress report: Week two
Falling stocks:
It's harsh to judge after one outing but James Broadhurst's World Cup hopes were hardly helped by events at Ellis Park. It was a tough ask for a debutant to face the Springboks at their fortress but, as mentioned above, some can handle such heat. Broadhurst, on the other hand, appeared to struggle with the intensity of the test and was dragged at halftime. Liam Messam was another who looked a tad off the pace, while Ben Franks was nowhere near as effective off the bench as Nepo Laulala has been in recent weeks.
The fullback debate:
Israel Dagg was a bit of a mixed bag after last week's bounceback performance against Argentina, showing some nice touches but throwing the hospital pass that led to the Springboks' first try. Ben Smith, as usual, showed that his abundant abilities extend to the right wing but, considering Piutau's performance, there may be a temptation to move Smith back to his natural home.
