The All Blacks have been left lamenting what could've been after their 31-27 defeat to South Africa in Johannesburg.
The visitors gave up a 10-point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining - the Springboks scoring two late tries after replacement prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi was yellow carded following repeated team infringements.
ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith unpacks the factors behind the loss.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB so close.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
But not to be for the All Blacks. Overnight Hey
races that over the touch line and a spring box from.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Ten points down, comp back and beat me All Blacks.
Jenny one twenty seven had Alice Park and Johannesburg.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
To talk us through at newstalks. He'd be Rugby commentator
Elliott Smith joins me from Johannesburg.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good morning, Elliott, Good morning or good evening from Johannesburg.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Francisca.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Right, let's cut to the chase. How did it end
in the game with fourteen players unpacked?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
The All Blacks big time.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I don't think it was this through the winning or
losing of the game, but it certainly didn't help. But
it was one of the factors in the last twenty
minutes that the All Blacks just couldn't get any front football,
couldn't get in the right areas of the park. That
wasn't necessarily all down to playing with one fewer men
for the for the last ten minutes or thereabouts, but
as I say, it didn't help. They conceded those two tries,
(01:11):
but they also battled outside of that to get in
the right area of the park. They made some mistakes
in the closing ten fifteen twenty minutes of that game,
even before off at Thawing a Fassi was seen away.
They just couldn't get out of their own red zone
really and when they had the opportunities, they just didn't
make them stick. There was a couple of times where
the ball was loose at the back of the ruck,
South Africa pinched it. There were a couple of turnovers
(01:33):
else where. The bull security wasn't quite there. So they
had that game, they could have taken it, they could
have won it, but unfortunately for the All Blacks they
end up on the losing side of the ledger.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Because for a while they looked really good. First sixty
minutes of the game. Was just a joy watching the
All Blacks.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Elliott, it was very good.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I think, you know, the Argentina performance in ad Eton
Park was good and it was a bounce back win,
but I think this was the best sixty minutes of
the season so far. The attack seemed to work a
lot better than what we've seen in previous test matches.
It was a lot cleaner, less clunky, and Caleb Clark
took us opportunity as well. They managed to find some
(02:13):
time and space and Jordi Barrett was read a great
interceptor early on in the second spell. So for the
first sixty minutes, you're right, Francisca that the All Blacks
were right on top of that test match and had
a ten point lead. And when you're ten points up
against the spring Box, you have to ice it from there.
They are too good to to you know, they'll come
(02:34):
back in the game, you know that, but you've got
to win it from that point onwards. It's too big
of an advantage to let slip. And unfortunately the All Blacks did.
They just didn't quite consolidate, didn't think throughout the eighty
minutes when they scored points, the All Blacks that let
South Africa back in with an error inside their own
twenty two or the gift penalty away. They just didn't
quite consolidate the points as much as they would have liked.
(02:55):
So it's a funny old game, you know, the eighty minutes.
As you look back on it, they had plenty of
opportunities to win that game, and yet there was a
lot of errors in that they also need to fix.
So as it stands though, they've lost a third straight
test of the spring Box and have it all to
do in terms of winning the Rugby Championship.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The spring Box did make some uncharacteristic errors. They had
some handling errors. It took them a while to settle
another game. Do you think that just sort of the
occasion and the pressure might have got to them a
little bit, took them a bit to settle.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I think it was just an arm the armrestle for
both sides really, and it was typical of a lot
of their previous meetings that there really wasn't much in it.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
You look at the recent history.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Apart from maybe that game at Twickenham last year, that
they've only been decided by one or two scores throughout
the last ten to fifteen years, there really has not
been a lot of The spring Box had a little
bit of a lull here and there, and the All
Blacks go through a lull, but there is very much
a very little between these two sides. I think what
we saw was the All Blacks rising to the occasion
(03:56):
and forcing some errors out of the spring Box. They'll
put under pressure certainly for the first time since the
Irish series, you know back in July that the Springboks
haven't felt the kind of pressure All Blacks were able
to put on. Certainly didn't feel that against the Wallabies
a couple of weeks ago. So the All Blacks were
able to put some pressure on South Africa. They just
weren't able to perhaps capitalize on it, you know, as
(04:17):
much as they should have. You know, one point ball
game at halftime was probably a fear reflection. They got
on top early and the second spell and just didn't
make them pay.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The reef was very decisive and I thought kept the
game moving swiftly. But I'm sure that they are going
to be some All Blacks fans who are not happy
with that first try that South Africa scored.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, that's right, And it was a weird one because
the the TMO just didn't interfere at all. And we've
become a custom now in rugby too hearing the TMO
as much as the Golden field referee. But there was
no intervention and I think Bill Blacks can be feel
pretty hard done by by that. In fact, you know,
Ike Scott robertson about it at the media conference a
couple of hours ago now about it, and he was
(04:58):
certainly frustrated, but stopped short of, you know, any criticism
of the referee because you just didn't want to get
into that. But there was the decision that was missed
the spring Box in the South Africa, on the other hand,
we're having a bit of concern around the All Blacks
first try.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Cody Taylor around a truck and trailer in that mall.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
That wasn't you note the referee didn't change his decision
obviously there so maybe one each way. Potentially It certainly
wasn't the winning and losing off the game that was
in the last twenty minutes where the All Blacks need
to be better, But certainly hard to see how that
was ordered to try, given we have replays that should
cut that stuff out.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Elliott.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
The game was played at such a fast paced and
with such a ferocity and physicality, which is what we expect.
I'm wondering, though, do we almost need more players on
the bench if this is the way we're going to
play the game?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Quite possibly, when you look at the spring Box and
they had carnage right through their team in the first
thirty thirty five minutes, and we're making plenty of changes
around that.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Possibly.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I think there's certainly an argument to me the way
that rugby has physically changed over the last especially ten
fifteen years, and the way the body types have got bigger,
that maybe you could potentially name more players on the
bench but only be able to use a certain number
or something like that, similar to football, potentially come in there.
I think the Springboks have mastered the yards of the
(06:22):
bench though by and large. I mean, you look at
the injuries they had and it didn't really affect them.
They finished the game stronger out of the two teams.
I think the All Blacks just haven't quite got that
bench mix right.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
They didn't get what.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
They wanted out of them in the final twenty twenty
five minutes, didn't score a point in the last twenty
five minutes plus. So that's something that needs to be
worked on from an All Blacks aspective, because I don't
think they've quite got that bench mix right as it stands.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, Elliott, it was pretty exciting game. Shall we do
it again in seven days time?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Oh? I can't wait. Hopefully get some energy back by
then and maybe the voice as well.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
It was a cracking game and you after Cape Jam
for the return match or the back of the second
league of this tour and looking forward to getting there.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
And it's the area where the All Blacks are well supported.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Traditionally they've had a support in Cape Town through historical reasons,
so maybe that'll be enough to get them a win
and leave South Africa with one win, one loss.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Look forward to talking to you next week, Elliott, Take care.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Thanks franchessco.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB so close.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
But not to be for the All Blacks. Overnight Hey
races that over the touch line and a spring box from.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Ten points down, comp back and beat me All Blacks.
Jenny one twenty seven had Alice Park and Johannesburg.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
To talk us through at newstalks. He'd be Rugby commentator
Elliott Smith joins me from Johannesburg.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good morning, Elliott, Good morning or good evening from Johannesburg.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Francisca.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Right, let's cut to the chase. How did it end
in the game with fourteen players unpacked?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
The All Blacks big time.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I don't think it was this through the winning or
losing of the game, but it certainly didn't help. But
it was one of the factors in the last twenty
minutes that the All Blacks just couldn't get any front football,
couldn't get in the right areas of the park. That
wasn't necessarily all down to playing with one fewer men
for the for the last ten minutes or thereabouts, but
as I say, it didn't help. They conceded those two tries,
(01:11):
but they also battled outside of that to get in
the right area of the park. They made some mistakes
in the closing ten fifteen twenty minutes of that game,
even before off at Thawing a Fassi was seen away.
They just couldn't get out of their own red zone
really and when they had the opportunities, they just didn't
make them stick. There was a couple of times where
the ball was loose at the back of the ruck,
South Africa pinched it. There were a couple of turnovers
(01:33):
else where. The bull security wasn't quite there. So they
had that game, they could have taken it, they could
have won it, but unfortunately for the All Blacks they
end up on the losing side of the ledger.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Because for a while they looked really good. First sixty
minutes of the game. Was just a joy watching the
All Blacks.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Elliott, it was very good.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I think, you know, the Argentina performance in ad Eton
Park was good and it was a bounce back win,
but I think this was the best sixty minutes of
the season so far. The attack seemed to work a
lot better than what we've seen in previous test matches.
It was a lot cleaner, less clunky, and Caleb Clark
took us opportunity as well. They managed to find some
(02:13):
time and space and Jordi Barrett was read a great
interceptor early on in the second spell. So for the
first sixty minutes, you're right, Francisca that the All Blacks
were right on top of that test match and had
a ten point lead. And when you're ten points up
against the spring Box, you have to ice it from there.
They are too good to to you know, they'll come
(02:34):
back in the game, you know that, but you've got
to win it from that point onwards. It's too big
of an advantage to let slip. And unfortunately the All Blacks did.
They just didn't quite consolidate, didn't think throughout the eighty
minutes when they scored points, the All Blacks that let
South Africa back in with an error inside their own
twenty two or the gift penalty away. They just didn't
quite consolidate the points as much as they would have liked.
(02:55):
So it's a funny old game, you know, the eighty minutes.
As you look back on it, they had plenty of
opportunities to win that game, and yet there was a
lot of errors in that they also need to fix.
So as it stands though, they've lost a third straight
test of the spring Box and have it all to
do in terms of winning the Rugby Championship.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The spring Box did make some uncharacteristic errors. They had
some handling errors. It took them a while to settle
another game. Do you think that just sort of the
occasion and the pressure might have got to them a
little bit, took them a bit to settle.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I think it was just an arm the armrestle for
both sides really, and it was typical of a lot
of their previous meetings that there really wasn't much in it.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
You look at the recent history.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Apart from maybe that game at Twickenham last year, that
they've only been decided by one or two scores throughout
the last ten to fifteen years, there really has not
been a lot of The spring Box had a little
bit of a lull here and there, and the All
Blacks go through a lull, but there is very much
a very little between these two sides. I think what
we saw was the All Blacks rising to the occasion
(03:56):
and forcing some errors out of the spring Box. They'll
put under pressure certainly for the first time since the
Irish series, you know back in July that the Springboks
haven't felt the kind of pressure All Blacks were able
to put on. Certainly didn't feel that against the Wallabies
a couple of weeks ago. So the All Blacks were
able to put some pressure on South Africa. They just
weren't able to perhaps capitalize on it, you know, as
(04:17):
much as they should have. You know, one point ball
game at halftime was probably a fear reflection. They got
on top early and the second spell and just didn't
make them pay.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The reef was very decisive and I thought kept the
game moving swiftly. But I'm sure that they are going
to be some All Blacks fans who are not happy
with that first try that South Africa scored.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, that's right, And it was a weird one because
the the TMO just didn't interfere at all. And we've
become a custom now in rugby too hearing the TMO
as much as the Golden field referee. But there was
no intervention and I think Bill Blacks can be feel
pretty hard done by by that. In fact, you know,
Ike Scott robertson about it at the media conference a
couple of hours ago now about it, and he was
(04:58):
certainly frustrated, but stopped short of, you know, any criticism
of the referee because you just didn't want to get
into that. But there was the decision that was missed
the spring Box in the South Africa, on the other hand,
we're having a bit of concern around the All Blacks
first try.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Cody Taylor around a truck and trailer in that mall.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
That wasn't you note the referee didn't change his decision
obviously there so maybe one each way. Potentially It certainly
wasn't the winning and losing off the game that was
in the last twenty minutes where the All Blacks need
to be better, But certainly hard to see how that
was ordered to try, given we have replays that should
cut that stuff out.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Elliott.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
The game was played at such a fast paced and
with such a ferocity and physicality, which is what we expect.
I'm wondering, though, do we almost need more players on
the bench if this is the way we're going to
play the game?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Quite possibly, when you look at the spring Box and
they had carnage right through their team in the first
thirty thirty five minutes, and we're making plenty of changes
around that.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Possibly.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I think there's certainly an argument to me the way
that rugby has physically changed over the last especially ten
fifteen years, and the way the body types have got bigger,
that maybe you could potentially name more players on the
bench but only be able to use a certain number
or something like that, similar to football, potentially come in there.
I think the Springboks have mastered the yards of the
(06:22):
bench though by and large. I mean, you look at
the injuries they had and it didn't really affect them.
They finished the game stronger out of the two teams.
I think the All Blacks just haven't quite got that
bench mix right.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
They didn't get what.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
They wanted out of them in the final twenty twenty
five minutes, didn't score a point in the last twenty
five minutes plus. So that's something that needs to be
worked on from an All Blacks aspective, because I don't
think they've quite got that bench mix right as it stands.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, Elliott, it was pretty exciting game. Shall we do
it again in seven days time?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Oh? I can't wait. Hopefully get some energy back by
then and maybe the voice as well.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
It was a cracking game and you after Cape Jam
for the return match or the back of the second
league of this tour and looking forward to getting there.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
And it's the area where the All Blacks are well supported.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Traditionally they've had a support in Cape Town through historical reasons,
so maybe that'll be enough to get them a win
and leave South Africa with one win, one loss.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Look forward to talking to you next week, Elliott, Take care.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Thanks franchessco.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.