…..refreshing honesty from O’Connor after one of the biggest defeats of the Boks at home.. contrast that honesty when I had the temerity to suggest (annoyingly) that our WC win was very lucky. But of more interest is his last comment where he identified ‘the pace of Super Rugby this season’ as one of the main reasons they succeeded.
For some time now we have been speculating and NZ pundits have as well, that the lack of play against the Boks had made NZ less physical. It’s a fair question to ask whether not playing against SH teams has made us less comfortable in fast, open games.
I’m not going to lie, we got a bit lucky when they made breaks and fumbled it, and then we had some individual brilliance from some of our players.’
” Despite these moments, he praised the team's overall performance and resilience under the challenging altitude which seemed to wear down the hosts more as the game progressed.
The playmaker also highlighted the preparation and pace brought from Super Rugby this season, which he believes played a crucial role in their ability to maintain intensity throughout the match. “