In a brutal display of power and precision, the Springboks dismantled the All Blacks with a stunning final quarter surge in Wellington, handing New Zealand their most crushing defeat in history. Former All Blacks center Sonny Bill Williams dissected the meltdown, attributing the loss to a series of unfavorable 50/50 decisions and an unstoppable South African momentum as the game neared its climax.
Speaking on Stan Sport’s Behind Two Posts, Williams didn't mince words about the All Blacks' dismal performance. "After tweeting 'Sometimes, it’s just not your day' post-game, I caught some heat. But truly, it was a whitewash. We were just seven points down with 20 minutes left, and then everything spiraled out of control," he explained. The match saw Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen all crossing for tries, leaving the former rugby powerhouse reeling under a 43-10 defeat.
"All the contestables, all the 50/50s just went the Springboks’ way."
Williams highlighted Willemse's try as a pivotal moment, with the Bok back slicing through after a key lineout steal by Ruan Nortje. "We were numbers up, pushed up, and just miscommunicated. It was a result of the relentless pressure we were under," he remarked.
The discussion also featured former Wallabies back Morgan Turinui, who commented on the overblown reaction from the New Zealand public. "It was a bad 20 minutes. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater," Turinui said, emphasizing the strength of the All Blacks' historical record.
"We went from struggling to catastrophic, and it was just the last 20 minutes. The bounce of the ball went the Boks’ way, and they had their tails up."
Turinui also praised the Springboks' performance, crediting coach Rassie Erasmus with the team’s strategic player rotations. "This match was a significant affirmation for Rassie’s direction heading towards 2027," he added.
As the All Blacks look to regroup for their upcoming Bledisloe Cup matches against the Wallabies, both Williams and Turinui anticipate a strong comeback. "It feels exactly like two weeks ago, losing to Argentina. The pile-on from people around the team, which seeps in, and of course, the high expectations," Turinui concluded, hinting at a potential resurgence from the All Blacks in their next encounters.