Springboks down All Blacks in Cape Town classic: Three takeaways

The Springboks produced a clinical performance to down the All Blacks 33-26 in a classic encounter in front of a sold out Cape Town Stadium on Saturday evening.

The result levels Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 1-1, after the hosts lost the opener 33-16 at Ellis Park a week earlier. They move up to Joburg for the third Test next weekend followed by the fourth in the USA.

It was also the perfect way for the Boks to celebrate Pieter-Steph du Toit, playing in his 100^th Test for the Boks, and Ox Nche who ran on for his 50^th when he came on towards the end of the first half.

Here are three takeaways from a thrilling encounter:

Front row switcheroo

Rassie Erasmus has been pushing the boundaries of what is allowed in rugby and he was at it again on Saturday as he pulled a front row switcheroo.

When the Boks’ team list dropped 45 minutes before the match, the reserve bench that was named earlier in the week, of Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit, were suddenly the starting front row. Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw moved to the bench.

It was a classic Rassie move, as it had never been seen in top flight international rugby before and seemed to pay off. Fourie, who almost exclusively plays as a loose forward outside of international rugby, hit his jumpers with his first two throws, the first of which led to a monster maul that got the Boks into the All Blacks 22m area, from where they went over for the opening try by centre Jesse Kriel.

Another good lineout and maul led to Damian de Allende’s second try by the Boks.

Better finishing, but costly early mistakes

After their poor finishing in the first Test, the Boks had to be better in the second, and that they were.

Their first three entries into the All Blacks’ 22m area earned them 17 points through two converted tries and a penalty. Although they understandably weren’t able to continue that 100% strike rate, a couple of entries later captain Siya Kolisi crashed over the whitewash for their third try of the first half.

The Boks also took their points when on offer, kicking four penalties, two early in the second half that gave them a 30-14 lead in the 52^nd minute, and their fourth in the 72^nd that put them 33-19 up.

In the first half some costly early mistakes from the Boks kept the All Blacks in the game.

First it was poor defence that cost them, with Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende missing crucial tackles as Cam Roigard scored the opener, while the second try came after Cheslin Kolbe kicked a ball directly into touch, giving the All Blacks a lineout between the 10m and 22m, which saw them spread the ball quickly and force the overlap for Damian McKenzie to run in, making it 17-14 at the time.

Early ‘bomb squad’

When the front row switcheroo was announced it was expected that Rassie Erasmus would be making some first half changes, and so it proved as Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx entered the fray in the 36^th minute, with the Boks immediately winning a scrum penalty, while off the back of the second scrum the Boks went on to score their third try.

Manie Libbok emerged at the start of the second half for Damian Willemse, after he took heavy contact in the first half.

Hybrid star André Esterhuizen came on for Siya Kolisi in the 42^nd minute, with him having put in a top shift on his return from injury.

Wilco Louw finally emerged in the 57^th minute, after a very good showing from Thomas du Toit, and Morné van den Berg replaced Cobus Reinach at the same time. The final bench replacements saw Lood de Jager and Cameron Hanekom on in the 66^th minute.

Of the subs Marx and Esterhuizen were immense and Nche and Van den Berg were solid.