Rugby World Cup 2023: All Blacks labelled ‘pretenders’ after Springboks beating

English writer Stuart Barnes has labelled the All Blacks as pretenders following their World Cup warm-up thrashing to the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday.

Writing for the Times, Barnes called the 35-7 defeat the “worst possible warm-up” for Ian Foster’s side and said it left them exposed heading into the World Cup starting next week.

“They were one individual score from finding themselves pointless at full-time for the first time since 1964. Throw in the injury to their crucial tight-head prop, Tyrel Lomax, and you have the worst possible Kiwi warm-up for their World Cup opener against France.”

“The Rugby Championship winners, who beat the Springboks 35-20 not so long ago, have been unmasked as the pretenders they are,” Barnes went on.

“Ian Foster’s determination to both stand by his overpowered captain, Sam Cane, and win as many games as possible before the World Cup to offset his dreadful recent period of losses leaves them exposed as an open book.”

Scott Barrett and the All Blacks battled with some officious refereeing. Photo / photosport.nz

But Barnes did have something to hang on to for All Blacks fans.

“There is talent aplenty. Anyone who thinks they don’t have an 80 minutes in them to beat the most fancied of teams underestimates the individual brilliance at Foster’s disposal,” he wrote.

Barnes however said the World Cup is now a three-horse race.

“The reigning World champions revealed the artillery to make a successful defence of their title.

“Only three teams can win this World Cup and South Africa are right up there with the European giants, France and Ireland. Andy Farrell’s side, like New Zealand, might just be susceptible to the overbearing power of the Springbok pack in both the open and the tight. Yet Farrell is a different class of coach to Foster and his team. Outstanding as South Africa were on Friday night, Ireland will at least have seen a few aspects of play that caught the All Blacks cold.

The scoreboard says it all. Photo / Getty

South Africa open their World Cup campaign against Scotland on September 11 before facing Romania, Ireland and Tonga in Group B.

“Whether it was a World Cup-winning statement, well, that seems likely to depend on France and Ireland. It won’t take a good European team to dethrone the champions; if the evidence of Friday is anything to go by, nothing short of greatness will suffice,” Barnes said.

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