All-court Boks delivered timely statement in Baltimore

OPINION: The Greatest Rivalry series showed why the Springboks rather than the All Blacks are the most potent side on the planet.

Rassie Erasmus will be thrilled by how the Greatest Rivalry series panned out.

The Boks tightened their mental grip on the All Blacks when they won the series 3-1 and boosted their recent record against New Zealand to eight wins in 10 matches.

They are well placed a year out from the 2027 World Cup, and appear destined to travel to Australia with a balanced yet vastly experienced squad.

Right now, they deserve recognition for what they achieved against a much-improved All Blacks side.

While the results will go down in history, one would hope that future generations remember how the Boks harnessed all of their strengths to clinch the inaugural Greatest Rivalry trophy.

The performance in Baltimore on Saturday served as a statement, as the Boks showed attacking ambition as well as nerves of steel to secure a 43-28 victory.

Looking at some of the stats, one cannot help but compare the Greatest Rivalry series decider in the United States and the Freedom Cup clash in Wellington last year.

While the matches were staged in vastly different conditions, the Boks scored 43 points and six tries on both occasions.

Now, consider what those numbers mean in the grand scheme of things.

The Boks broke the record for the biggest winning margin against the All Blacks when they won 43-10 at the Cake Tin last year.

This past Saturday, they matched the record for the most points and tries scored against New Zealand in a game that mirrored the intensity and importance of a World Cup final.

It was a statement performance on many levels.

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There’s been a lot of talk about the Boks’ approach over the past six weeks, and the most recent display would have set the record straight.

Unlike some other teams, they aren’t fixated on the idea of being a running team or a set-piece team or a kicking team.

They have evolved to the point where they are all of the above.

There were times in the recent series when they went to their superior scrum and maul, and when they used the kick-chase strategy to regather possession and unsettle the All Blacks defence.

While their own line defence blew hot and cold, the Boks scrambled well and forced a number of defensive breakdown turnovers over the the course of the four Tests.

The Boks scored 14 tries overall, and while they maximised their set-piece and gainline strengths to convert many of their opportunities from close range, they also showed an intent to counterattack and strike from deep.

Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try in Baltimore was a case in point, and served to confirm that the Boks are just as dangerous from broken play as they are when setting a scrum underneath the opposition’s posts.

Erasmus, attack coach Tony Brown and the rest of the back room staff deserve plaudits for the recent series win, and for keeping the faith in a versatile approach.

The Boks will need to make some adjustments going forward – but by and large, they showed why they are the world’s most versatile side.

All Blacks boss Dave Rennie should take some important lessons from a series that ended with three consecutive losses.

Under Rennie, the All Blacks attack has endeavoured to play the game at a high tempo, and has troubled some of the best teams as a result.

But as seen in the recent series against the Boks, New Zealand have work to do in other key departments.

Their scrum remains a concern, they continue to lose lineouts at key moments, and the long-range maul try they conceded in the third Test may haunt the coaching staff for years to come.

What’s more, their kicking game was inconsistent, and they were routinely beaten by the Boks in the aerial contest.

Comparisons are often made between Erasmus’ Boks and the great All Blacks side that dominated Test rugby between 2010 and 2018.

What many forget is that the All Blacks’ golden era was preceded by one of New Zealand’s worst seasons in 2009, where they lost three-consecutive Tests to the Boks.

In the wake of those defeats, the New Zealand rugby community as a whole invested more time and energy into developing the set piece and kicking game.

In the ensuing years, the All Blacks led the way at the set piece and on defence, and often used their kicking game and aerial strengths to dismantle their rivals.

Most will remember the tries and big scorelines, but the All Blacks’ attacking success was closely linked to their strengths in other departments.

They had more than one game plan, and ultimately more than one way to secure big results and trophies.

Will Rennie’s All Blacks heed the lessons of 2009 and bounce back from the Greatest Rivalry series? Perhaps.

Of course, whether they can become an all-court team and close the gap before the 2027 World Cup remains to be seen.

The Boks certainly aren’t slowing down, and by next year, Erasmus’ charges may have added yet another layer to an increasingly versatile approach.

Whisper it, but this all-conquering Bok side can improve and reach even greater heights.