Player Ratings: New Zealand

OPINION: The All Blacks have lost their second Test of the year under Scott Robertson after falling 27-31 to the world champion Springboks at Ellis Park.

New Zealand came to play, and even led by 10 points late in the second half, but the South Africans showed their class once again.

Finn Morton rates the All Blacks players.

1 Tamaiti Williams – 6.5/10
It was a mixed night for tighthead prop Tamaiti Williams. Playing the Springboks at Ellis Park for the first time, Williams put in a solid shift around the park but that’s not to say it was all smooth sailing for the youngster. Williams was bested at the set-piece on a number of occasions, with the experienced Frans Malherbe helping the Springboks gain an upper hand at times.

2 Codie Taylor – 8
Codie Taylor is, more often than not, a reliable option at hooker for the All Blacks and Saturday’s Test was no different. Taylor is one of the more experienced players in New Zealand’s squad so it was always going to be essential he step up to give the tight five a lift.

Taylor did exactly that. The 33-year-old was perfect when throwing into the lineout, scored the All Blacks’ first try of the night after reaping the rewards of the team’s rolling maul, and he was also a force in defence. Not a faultless performance, but an important one.

3 Tyrel Lomax – 8
Tyrel Lomax the playmaker. What a weird way to start a player ratings passage about a loosehead prop, and while it’s certainly a phrase this writer never thought he’d bring to your screens by way of digital media, it’s a playful summary to start with.

As a way to beat a Springbok defender, Lomax held a pass before sending Beauden Barrett on a burst up the park. That led to Caleb Clarke’’s try which ushered the echoing sound of silence throughout Ellis Park. It was a bizarre moment, but one that deserves plenty of praise.

Lomax was otherwise solid around the park. The 28-year-old, who was born in Australia, held his own at the set-piece and he also had some telling involvements on both sides of the ball. It was a promising outing from a mainstay of the All Blacks’ starting side.

4 Scott Barrett (captain) – 6
Back in the fold for the All Blacks for the first time since the dominant win over the Flying Fijians in San Diego, captain Scott Barrett seemed to go missing for long periods of the Test. There’s no denying the work Barrett did in some of the dark areas of the field like the breakdown but the skipper hadn’t even carried the ball once by the time the 60-minute mark rolled around. Barrett was used as one of the team’s main options at the lineout, though.

5 Tupou Vaa’I – 6
It seems Tupou Vaa’i has an opportunity to make that starting spot in the All Blacks his own. Coach Scott Robertson showed a lot of faith in the young lock by naming him to start against the Springboks at Ellis Park, but Vaa’i repaid that with an okay performance.

Without being great, Vaa’i had a noticeable impact at the breakdown but with was otherwise a bit quiet in front of about 60,000 passionate fans. Vaa’I barely got his hands on the ball to actually run at the Bok defence, and the lock only made a handful of stops in D.

6 Ethan Blackader – 8.5
Ethan Blackadder, take a bow. In a blockbuster bout between two heavyweight contenders of international rugby, Blackadder had a significant impact on the night by landing blow after blow in all areas of the match. The backrower was running at 100 miles per hour to start the Test and that didn’t seem to cool down too much for the rest of the match.

Blackadder almost scored the first try of the night inside the opening few minutes of the contest, but a solid defensive effort stopped him. Then, moments later, the flanker popped up on the other side of the field where he bombed a try by not passing to Caleb Clarke. But now that the negatives are out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.

The 29-year-old was a man possessed on both sides of the ball, with the All Black recording six carries and an impressive number of tackles inside the opening 20 minutes. Blackadder finished as one of the top tacklers, and he also stood out in attack and around the breakdown.

7 Sam Cane – 7
Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane was back in the starting side at Test level for the first time since last year’s Rugby World Cup Final. It was nigh on impossible to look past the work Cane was doing around the breakdown early on, with the openside flanker showing elite speed at cleanouts that the Springboks struggled to keep up with.

Earlier this week, coach Scott Robertson spoke about how Cane was a veteran the All Blacks would “need” in this Test – that proved to be the case as the All Blacks built up their lead. Cane was one of the top tacklers on the night, with the backrower showing no fear in what was a bit of a redemption game for him.

8 Ardie Savea – 6
Ardie Savea is the reigning World Rugby Player of the Year – that title warrants respect but it also welcomes criticism. Savea is always going to be held to a higher standard, so in the pursuit of fairness, it’s important not to be overly critical here.

But it wasn’t the All Black’s best Test. While the No. 8 finished as one of the top tacklers on the night, Savea wasn’t able to have anywhere near the level of impact in attack that rugby fans have come to expect from him.

9 TJ Perenara – 8
As Scott Robertson spoke about earlier this week, experience matters when the All Blacks play the Springboks. It’s a Test unlike any other – one that demands the very best of those selected to wear the ruby jersey of their respective nation. The likes of Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and TJ Perenara were always going to have a big say on how this Test played out.

Perenara was named at No. 9 and the now 84-Test veteran was exactly what the New Zealanders needed for long periods. The halfback’s passes were quick and accurate, with Damian McKenzie benefiting from the front foot ball. In the first half, Perenara also kicked a 50/22 – in itself, highlighting the confidence and skill the scrumhalf played with on the night.

10 Damian McKenzie – 8
That might’ve been Damian McKenzie’s best Test of the year. McKenzie has been improving in the No. 10 jersey after being given the keys to the All Blacks’ attack under ‘Razor’ Robertson, and fans in Johannesburg were treated to a top performance in this Test.

On the back of what TJ Perenara brought to the table at halfback, McKenzie was given plenty of ball in space. The All Blacks prepared for the Springboks’ rush defence and worked that into their favour as McKenzie ran into gaps time and time again. The flyhalf led the team around the park with calmness and skill – exactly what the team needs from him.

11 Caleb Clarke – 8
Wings are judged on their ability to score tries when an opportunity presents itself. That’s what this writer was told in under-14s in Brisbane, Australia, and that truth extends right up to the top at Test level. On Saturday, No. 11 Caleb Clarke would’ve put a smile on coach Scott Robertson’s face with two finishes on the back of well-worked backline moves.

Clarke scored late in the first half after benefiting from slick work from Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett, and incredibly, loosehead prop Tyrel Lomax. The winger had just enough pace to beat the covering tackle attempt from a Bok defender, and it was a similar story during the second term. Barrett passed the ball to Clarke who ran about 25 metres to the house.

12 Jordie Barrett – 8.5
Jordie Barrett has one of his best Tests of the year at inside centre. Springbok defenders were drawn into the midfield whenever Barrett received the ball, and that created some space out wide that the visitors were able to make the most of.

Barrett’s crowning moment came about 60 seconds into the second half when he raced away for an intercept try. It was a moment of brilliance that led All Blacks fans to dare to dream, but the Boks were too good in the end as the scoreboard showed.

13 Rieko Ioane – 6.5
Big name players stand up in the big moments. It was far from an outstanding performance from Rieko Ioane, but there was enough there to like. If you asked All Blacks fans, some may question whether Ioane should start – Anton Lienert-Brown and Billy Proctor are both solid options. But Ioane reminded fans what he’s capable of with some brief moments of magic in this Test, notably, powerful runs during the opening half.

14 Will Jordan – 6.5
Some fans would love to see Will Jordan get a run at fullback but for now, let’s take a moment to appreciate what the All Black can do on the wing. Jordan was impressive on the right wing despite not scoring any tries – which, admittedly, goes against what was said in the Caleb Clarke passage.

Jordan made a couple of eye-catching breaks during the opening 40 minutes and backed that up with a try assist just after the half-time break. There was one moment to forget, though, with Jordan knocking the ball on in the 55th minute.

15 Beauden Barrett – 7
Let’s start at the beginning. Beauden Barrett threw an outrageous offload to Ethan Blackadder that so nearly ended up as a try assist. If it had been a score, the rugby world would’ve been left in awe of Barrett’s stunning skills once again.

From there, Barrett was reliable as both a fullback and as a playmaker. The 2015 Rugby World Cup winner linked up well with Damian McKenzie once again, which led to some moments of brilliance from the team as a collective. That included a try assist for Caleb Clarke inside the first 10 minutes of the second period.

There were moments to forget, with Barrett kicking the ball out on the full in the 24th minute and again with just seconds left in the opening half – clearly, thinking that it was half-time.

Replacements

16 Asafo Aumua – 4
17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi – 3
18 Fletcher Newell – 5
19 Sam Darry – 4
20 Samipeni Finau – 4
21 Cortez Ratima – 5
22 Anton Lienert-Brown – 5
23 Mark Tele’a – 5