Player ratings: ABs knocked over

All Blacks coach Graham Henry may leave South Africa with more questions than answers when it comes to the make-up of his World cup squad, as his team failed to deliver.

It is worth pointing out that this wasn’t a full strength All Blacks outfit, but an exercise to see how much depth is available with several returning players looking to cement themselves in the side.

However, the All Blacks badly wanted a victory and will be livid with themselves for not keeping their winning streak alive.

While there were some impressive moments and a few notable individual performances, the team was unable to unlock the Springbok defence with the ease they are used to and were met head on at the breakdown.

The question still remains can New Zealand win without Dan Carter and Richie McCaw?

Timmy Hancox rates the All Blacks players.

15 Israel Dagg:
Looked very dangerous on attack, running an excellent line to cut holes in the Springbok defence on a few occasions showing he has some serious pace. Dealt well with any kicks that were fired at him by Morne Steyn and Fourie du Preez. 7/10

14 Isaia Toeava:
Dodged and weaved some good attacks, but he didn’t look especially comfortable out on the wing and looked for work in the midfield from time to time. 5/10

13 Richard Kahui:
Scored the only try of the game with good strength to force his way over the line with two defenders in front of him. he looked dangerous whenever he was given any room to play and was the best of the Kiwi backs. As questionable tackle on Fourie du Preez that may be construed as a tip-tackle was his only blemish. 8/10

12 Sonny Bill Williams:
He promised so much, but delivered very little in the match without the usual amount of ball to play with and the Bok defenders keeping an eye on him at all times. He did provide the inside flip that lead to Kahui’s try and did the trick to get All Blacks back into the game. His defence was solid without being damaging, but Ma’a Nonu won’t be losing any sleep over his No.12 jersey. 6/10

11 Hosea Gear: (Replaced by Cory Jane after 72 minutes)
Ran an excellent line to help set-up Kahui’s try and was elusive on a few runs without being given enough space to stretch his legs and mount a serious attack. 6/10

10 Colin Slade: (Replaced by Piri Weepu after 61 minutes)
He will be disappointed with his efforts and the debate about who should be Dan Carter’s understudy is far from over. Poor goal-kicking and a lack of passing accuracy didn’t inspire much confidence. He did have one sparkling moment when the playmaker was able to step his way out of trouble and launch a counter-attack. 4/10

9 Jimmy Cowan: (Replaced by Andy Ellis after 53 minutes)
Almost opened up an early lead with a tremendous break that was only thwarted by Bryan Habana’s heroics. Provided some crisp service and looked for gaps around the fringes, although the difficulties at the breakdown forced him onto the back foot all too often. 6/10

8 Liam Messam: (Replaced by Victor Vito after 69 minutes)
He tackled bravely and worked hard to make inroads on the Bok defence, but went missing far too often make a big impact on the game. 5/10

7 Adam Thomson:
Fought hard and threw himself into every breakdown in an effort to disrupt the Boks momentum, but was penalised over and over inside first 15 minutes for infringements on the ground. His effort and spirit was faultless, but he was out-classed by Heinrich Brussow on the floor. He carried the ball well and was a constant threat on attack. 7/10

6 Jerome Kaino:
Performed some tireless work slowing down the Springbok ball and was massive on defence together with a few rampaging runs to test the fringes. 6/10

5 Ali Williams: (Replaced by Jarrad Hoeata after 69 minutes)
He has some slick handling skills for a lock and had a very good line-out duel with Victor Matfield in their aerial battles. Provided some steely defensive work and didn’t back down from the physical challenges. 7/10

4 Samuel Whitelock:
Saved his team from conceding a try with a cynical foul on his own tryline to limit the damage to just three points. Was very mobile and got stuck into a heavy workload in the rucks and mauls to take on the Bok pack head on. 7/10

3 John Afoa: (Replaced by Ben Franks after 51 minutes, but returned 10 min later for Woodcock)
Held his own in most scrums without being dominant at any point, but his general play needs work. Wasn’t involved in enough rucks to make a big impact on the game. 5/10

2 Keven Mealamu: (Replaced by Andrew Hore after 61 minutes)
Lead the team in a whole hearted display with a massive tackle on Jannie du Plessis to headline his excellent defensive work. Committed himself to the breakdown and carried the ball well as a strong first receiver. Had one or two problems with his line-outs, but another typically hard, strong outing. 7/10

1 Tony Woodcock: (Replaced by John Afoa after 61 minutes)
Looked very rusty and failed to live up to his usual standards, with Jannie du Plessis dominating him in the scrums. He will struggle to keep hold of his starting berth with the emergence of Owen Franks this year. 4/10

Replacements:

16 Andrew Hore: (On for Keven Mealamu after 61 minutes)
Gave his all in a late cameo and threw himself into the fray whenever called upon and asserted his physical presence on the game. Excellent line-out showing with pin point accuracy on his throws. 6/10

17 Ben Franks: (On for John Afoa after 51 minutes)
Was given a working over by the Beast in his first few scrums before moving to loosehead, where he looked more comfortable. Provided his muscle in the engine room and did a tidy job in general play. 6/10

18 Jarrad Hoeata: (On for Ali Williams after 69 minutes)
Not enough time to be rated

19 Victor Vito: (On for Liam Messam after 69 minutes)
Not enough time to be rated

20 Andy Ellis: (On for Jimmy Cowan after 53 minutes)
Wasn’t quite as sharp as Cowan, but he looked to keep the momentum moving forward and provided the quick service for his backline to launch an attack in a effort to fight their way back into the game. 6/10

21 Piri Weepu: (On for Colin Slade after 61 minutes)
Looked to provide some spark and tried to find a moment of magic to no avail, as his chips kicks over the top were neatly gathered by the Boks. He would be more at home at scrumhalf and isn’t the answer at flyhalf. 6/10

22 Cory Jane: (On for Hosea Gear after 72 minutes)
Not enough time to be rated