The All Blacks bounced back after two abject displays against Australia and Argentina in fine fashion as they beat a hapless Springbok side 57-0.
Tries from Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (x2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Lima Sopoaga and Codie Taylor ensured that the hosts claimed their largest ever margin of victory against the South Africans.
The win sees the Steve Hansen’s men cement their place at the top of the Rugby Championship standings with just two games to go. Things didn’t start badly for the ‘Boks as they dominated the early exchanges, winning a massive scrum penalty in the 10th minute.
That’s about as good as it got, however, with the hosts taking the lead through the boot of Beauden Barrett in the 16th minute. Ioane would score the first try of the game two minutes later as he ran on to a clever kick from Aaron Smith after the scrumhalf took a quick tap.
That try seemed to knock the wind out of the Springboks’ sails. Their scrum went to pieces and the lineout continued to misfire. Handling and defensive errors were rife as the All Blacks capitalised with ruthless efficiency. An interception against the run of play saw Milner-Skudder dot down for his first of the evening after a bit of razzle dazzle from Barrett who threw a mesmeric pass out the back of the hand.
It was all New Zealand from then on who grabbed two more tries before the halftime break via Scott Barrett Brodie Retallick as the World Champions took a massive 31-0 lead into the sheds.
It took 14 minutes for the hosts to open the scoring in the second stanza as Milner-Skudder finished brilliantly in the corner. Tu’ungafasi grabbed the sixth try of the game using his sheer power to barge over the line in the 64th minute. Sopoaga brought the New Zealanders within touching distance of 50 after a smart offload from Liernert-Brown before Barrett added the extra two.
Codie Taylor put the icing on the cake late on as the All Blacks rumbled over the line following a lineout a couple of metres out to take the score out to 55-0, before Barrett brought proceedings to a close with his seventh conversion of the match.
Alistair Cotezee has two weeks to put things right ahead of the South Africans’ next Rugby Championship match against Australia in the Free State. He – along with his side – will be under massive pressure to get a favourable result in Bloem. Failure to claim a win in that match, coupled with another mauling at the hands of New Zealand in Cape Town in October could see heads roll.
