Sir John Kirwan: All Blacks legend on South Africa’s dominating game in Wellington

The All Blacks lost 43-10 to the Springboks in Wellington on Saturday night. 

It is the biggest defeat the All Blacks have suffered in a test match. 

Former All Blacks player Sir John Kirwan told Mike Hosking that the All Blacks need to have a look at their play and seriously review how the match unfolded 

‘Normally we go away saying, OK, we can fix that up we'd be right, but I think this one is a little bit more serious’ 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So it's turning out to be a roller coaster old
season for the All Blacks fans. Dispatch having dispatched the French,
Argentina tripped us up at least once a que the Yanks,
but then we put it all right, didn't we? South
Africa epic a week ago? Fantastic and then until saiday night,
it all came undone record loss. So where are we at?
S John Corwin's with us?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
John Morning, Well, must apologize Mike for the other day.
No excuse, may slept. I actually made myself did twenty
push ups, mate, So I apologize with one arm.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
I hope is there is a loss? A loss? Or
was there something odd about that?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh? Very odd? To be fair, Mikelake. Normally at the
end of an All Black loss, you'll come out and say, oh,
maybe it was high ball. You know, we've got one
thing to work on. It was a critical moment. But
I think the second half on the weekend was, you know,
our line out dysfunctioned at times, we got put under
pressure at the scrum our high ball wasn't great, and

(00:54):
you know, I'm sure the leaders will be looking themselves
and said, well, how do we sort of can continue
to concede points. There seem to be some nervousness in
the field, So normally we go away saying, oh, can
we can fix that up? We'd be right. But I
think this one is a little bit more serious for
the team to look at. They'll be reeling everyone's really,
I think, because there's such a surprise.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
The schizophrenic nature of it though, how can you do
what they did a week ago and then a week
later it's completely different.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, I think it's a leadership. I think it's an
understanding of what we're trying to achieve and what happens
in crisis. So you know normally what would happen as
you'd turn to a kicking game, and I think or
have a plan about what you're going to do. We
know the DNA of South Africa when they get under pressure,
they're going to wait for penalty, kick you in the corner,
do it more. We know that. I think under pressure,

(01:44):
the biggest learning for the team will be, Okay, what's
going to happen when we start getting behind because normally
we do this to other sides. Normally, what happens when
we see a crack bomb? You know we'll put forty
points on people. But you know, thirty odd unanswered points
is you need to look at everything. You need to
have a really serious look at Okay, there's not one
thing that we need to work on. That's the problem.

(02:04):
So I think leadership kicking game under pressure. What are
we going to do when we're behind by ten points?
Which is a lot in a Test match?

Speaker 1 (02:12):
But a good competition though, isn't it. Everyone's beaten everybody.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
How good and there's no reason to panic. We don't
need to panic. The South African side is an amazing side.
They've been changing the team a lot. I thought they
got the balance right on the weekend. Australia continues to improve,
but it's still all to be won and that's what
we want. You know, we can't always think about rugby
and us dominating and that hasn't happened for a few years.

(02:36):
But it's a great competition and that's what we want.
I mean, there's everything to play. We've still got another
game at Eton Park against the improving Australia side, so
she's all to play.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
For good stuff. Nice to catch ups, John Cowan, whether's Mike,
don't forget South Africa? Conceee the thirty eight points without
reply against Australia just a few weeks ago. That's my point.
Look at the competition, it's fantastic.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
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