Captain18,570 posts
26 Jul 2015, 09:05
#1
26 Jul 2015, 09:05#1
The All Blacks showed their class by overtaking the Springboks at the death to claim victory at Ellis Park. Although the home side managed to dictate terms for most of the match, the All Blacks showed why they are the best team in the world by soaking up the pressure and using the opportunities they got to maximum effect. There were some punishing counter-attacks from the visitors who showed great composure under pressure and struck when it counted most. Although there were a few inexperienced players who received a tough introduction to the Test arena, the senior players really stepped up to gain revenge for their defeat at the same venue last year. We rate the New Zealand players: 15 Israel DaggGreat in the air, tackled hard and his booming boot saw him return plenty of Springbok kicks with interest. 8/10 14 Ben SmithHis opportunities were limited, but showed his deadly finishing skills when he got the chance.7/10 13 Conrad SmithNot a great game for the experienced centre who dropped a few balls and also missed a few tackles.5/10 12 Ma'a NonuKept fairly quiet, but it was his inside ball that sparked the try just before half-time and made a few big hits as well.6/10 11 Charles PiutauLooked for work and his pace and power was a big asset out wide as he gained plenty of metres on the counter-attack.7/10 10 Lima SopoagaFound out about the difference between Super Rugby and Test level on a shaky debut. Some good moments but took some quesrionable options at times.6/10 9 Aaron SmithProvided superb service as usual and his pace proved a handful for the Bok defence, although he did slip off a few tackles.7/10 8 Kieran ReadGreat players step up in big games and he did just that, making metres on attack and defence, winning turnovers and even stole a Bok line-out.9/10 7 Richie McCawA big performance from the skipper who brought his tireless workrate and capped it off with a great try to claim the victory.8/10 6 Liam MessamWorked hard on defence, although he was blown up for a high tackle, and ran hard at the Springboks.7/10 5 James BroadhurstA tough introduction to Test rugby as he was forced backwards with his first touch of the ball and battled to match the Boks' physicality before being pulled off at half-time.5/10 4 Brodie RetallickShowed plenty of power in the tight stuff, and some great touches in the loose as well in a solid outing.7/10 3 Owen FranksBattled to assert himself in the scrums when they were being contested, but got around the park well.6/10 2 Dane ColesQuestion marks over his defence, but showed his value with a great angle and plenty of pace for his try.6/10 1 Tony WoodcockNot his best performance as he gave away penalties at scrum-time and in the tackle area.6/10 Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor (On for Coles, 63 mins)Provided plenty of niggle and got in the faces of the opposition.6/10 17 Wyatt Crockett (On for Crockett, 50 mins)Was not required to scrum, but got through some hard work in the loose.6/10 18 Ben Franks (On for O. Franks, 57 mins)His mobility was an asset and he tackled hard despite not having to scrum.6/10 19 Samuel Whitelock (On for Broadhurst, 41 mins)Got pinned for collapsing a maul before being shown a yellow card which put his team under serious pressure.5/10 20 Victor Vito (On for Messam, 57 mins)His experience was crucial in the late stages as he linked well and tackled hard.7/10 21 TJ Perenara (On for A. Smith, 66 mins)Good service and got to the breakdown quickly to keep his team's tempo high.7/10 22 Beauden Barrett (On for Dagg, 52)His pace came in handy late in the games as he found some space out wide and his positional play was solid as well.6/10 23 Malakai Fekitoa (On for Nonu, 46 mins)Made an impression with his hard and straight running, beating defenders and making his tackles.7/10 By Michael de Vries
