The Greatest Rivalry: The Aftermath from Game 3

Game 3 is done and dusted, and South Africa came away as deserved winners. It was an absolute masterclass on how to handle pressure and capitalize on mistakes. Though the score was close at 29-24, it was a dominant Springbok victory. So now we look into the aftermath of Game 3.

No Ardie, No All Blacks

For 30 minutes, the All Blacks looked sharp and dangerous. There was niggle around the ruck; dominant tackles and speed from the ruck forced South African mistakes. Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s yellow card was the result of playing with speed and flair. That all changed when Ardie Savea came off.

I’ve been a massive critic of Ardie Savea in the past, but in this test series, he has been the keystone of this team. When he was ushered off with a dislocated shoulder, the All Blacks looked off. The ruck looked slow. The dominant hits disappeared, and all of a sudden, the Springboks controlled the middle of the field. Luke Jacobson started off with a hiss and a roar, and then he went almost invisible. There was no clear leader on the field. No one willing to stand up.

The leader doesn’t necessarily have to be the captain. Richie McCaw was a good captain, but the most vocal man in the circles wasn’t the cap; it was Keven Mealamu. Someone needs to stand up in this squad and stand up now.

All Blacks Coaching Staff Failed in Game 3

Dave Rennie and company made some bold selection changes in Game 3, and a lot of fans were quite happy with the changes. One that stands out, and turned out to be a massive failure, was Fabian Holland’s benching and how they managed it. Sam Darry has size, but he looked timid in contact. Tupou Vaa’i, usually a stalwart pick at lock, has been lackluster in the second row. Fabian Holland has been massive in both Games 1 and 2, and the fact he came on with 20 minutes left in the game was a catastrophe. Tupou Vaa’i lacks the size to be an effective tight forward against South Africa.

Then there is the Leroy Carter debacle. How they handled the media conference, saying his 2 missed tackles were a system problem more than a Carter problem, actually paints them as the issue. If this was a failure of the defensive systems put in place by Tana Umaga, then this raises more questions than before.

Dave Rennie said that Leroy Carter was brought in because he’s a better defender than Josh Moorby, a statement that I disagree with majorly. Last year, Carter debuted and he was a terrible defender then. He hasn’t improved at all, and is a weak point in the All Blacks that will continue to be exploited by teams in the future.

Ruben Love Is the Future, but With Some Caveats

Ruben Love’s first year in the 10 jumper produced the most dominant Super Rugby

Final in history. He ran the cutter like a genius, kicked goals in the tricky Wellington conditions with ease, and looked to be the solution to the conundrum the All Blacks had: a 10 that can actually make that jumper his. He’s still young into his All Black career, and he will continue to improve, hopefully.

This tour to South Africa was always going to be a war of attrition, the toughest experience for every single player, and Ruben Love was no exception.

The first thing he needs to work on is his discipline; his first game in the 10 jumper had him yellow carded in the first 5 minutes. Game 3 produced another yellow. That’s 2 yellow cards in 6 tests, and that’s a statistic that is absolutely unacceptable. If your starting fly-half is getting yellow carded in one-third of the tests he plays, then he needs to go now. The fact he’s only played 6 tests as a 10 gives him some leeway, but he needs to correct this immediately.

We know Ruben Love can kick goals, so his misses on the weekend can only come down to one thing: pressure. For the All Blacks, there is no harder place to win than in South Africa. Everything is against you; they are your greatest rival. You need to handle the pressure. You need to rise above it. This could be the greatest lesson he will learn. He’s felt the furnace of South Africa; how he learns from this will dictate his future in the All Blacks.

Dave Rennie Says The All Blacks Are Close, but They’re Not

This point is the hardest to accept, but it’s the absolute truth. The scores in Games 2 and 3 were close, but watching the games showed something completely different, especially in Game 3. The Springboks’ set piece is light years ahead of the All Blacks. They are far better under the high ball. Their depth is far better. They can play fast attacking rugby or they can grind out a slow, tough game. If one were to pick a 2nd XV from both New Zealand and South Africa, it would be an absolute bloodbath. How South Africa have managed the team from 2019 until now has been an absolute masterclass in team management. From Steven Kitshoff to Wilco Louw, Franco Mostert to Ruan Nortje, they have brought through some absolute monsters. And this has been New Zealand’s downfall. They produced the greatest team to play the game, only to become a team with no identity. Their game plan is to play with pace and speed, but they lack the personnel to execute.

Game 3 showed promise, but it showed the only point that really matters in a series of this magnitude: the All Blacks cannot handle pressure. And pressure is where South Africa thrives. The All Blacks will close the gap, but it is highly unlikely to happen before the next World Cup.