No need for mourning in Bok country
The All Blacks are nervously looking over their collective shoulders at a much-improved Springbok team, as the World Cup looms.
While most of the South African rugby landscape was cast in a pall of gloom after yet another narrow defeat – a 20-27 loss to New Zealand that followed a week after a 20-24 loss to Australia – All Black coach Steve Hansen provided the silver lining around the dark cloud.
New Zealand's win – the result of a pre-planned move that secured captain Richie McCaw a match-winning try in the 73rd minute – resulted in the usual stream of abusive comments aimed at Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.
However, Hansen felt the Boks are in pretty good shape ahead of the World Cup in England, in September and October.
"I'd say the last three games [between the teams] over here [at Ellis Park] could have gone either way," Hansen told a post-match media briefing – in reference to the games in 2013 (won 38-27 by NZ), 2014 (won 27-25 by SA) and the past weekend.
"They are developing a style of play that's going to be difficult to combat.
"They have some very exciting young backs and a lot of pace in their backline and some brutal forwards."
The All Black mentor said South Africa should be "pretty happy" about their progress ahead of the global showpiece.
"Heyneke [Meyer] has done a good job of developing them over the last two or three years," Hansen said.
"They're the No.2 side on the world rankings and as you saw in this match, there's nothing between the top team and the second-placed team."
Hansen added that the unusually high number of missed tackles by New Zealand (28 – with a tackle success rate of just 82.0 percent) was the result of Bok pressure.
"South African dominated the go-forward and the won the collision battle, especially in the first half."
The comments will pour cold water on some of the harsh criticism aimed at the Bok coach, Meyer.
The All Blacks and Springboks are on a semifinals collision course at the World Cup in England later in the year.
All Black captain Richie McCaw echoed similar sentiments.
"We know we have to dig pretty deep and turn up for 80 minutes," he said of the most recent encounters between the sides.
"As Steve [Hansen] said, the difference between these two teams ain't very much."
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
