Tupaea admits Boks' pressure game got to All Blacks
SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand centre Quinn Tupaea explained how the Springboks got the better of the All Blacks in key areas of the game following their 26-33 defeat in the second Test of the Greatest Rivalry series.
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The Springboks levelled the series 1-1 following a much-improved performance after their defeat to New Zealand at Ellis Park to set up a mouthwatering clash at FNB Stadium this coming Saturday.
Chiefs and All Blacks midfielder Tupaea admitted that the Springboks’ fast start and general pressure from the outset were a key factor in the outcome of the match, but also admitted that a lot of it came through their own mistakes.
“The Boks started strong and put us under a lot of pressure, but we did well to fight back and give ourselves a chance to win,” Tupaea said.
“Yes, scoreboard pressure was a word, but we felt we put a lot of pressure on ourselves in the game through key moments we won’t be too happy about.”
“It’s just footy; you have to nail those little moments. I guess they had more moments than us tonight and we were poor in some areas and the Boks made us pay.
“We have a couple of lessons to take from this, and we’ll look forward to next weekend.”
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The Boks terrorised the All Blacks in the air, with Ethan Hooker enjoying a blinder in retaining kicks to keep the Boks on the front foot.
Tupaea stressed that it’s a key part of their game that needs to be addressed to get more parity on attack in Johannesburg this coming Saturday.
“Yeah, they caused us a lot of problems under the high ball; that’s something we need to tidy up.
“We’ve been pretty good at it the last few weeks, but yeah, that’s still a work-on from our side.”
He added: “As a centre, I don’t catch too many high balls, but overall, we were right there.
“We had a lot of width in our game. I love the way our coaches set us up, it’s all about connection.”
Apart from the Boks’ fast start, their physicality was another factor which contributed to the All Blacks being under pressure in the match.
“It was something we expected [the Boks’ physicality] – we just had to reach another gear in terms of our kick-off and set-piece.
“If I remember correctly, we parked down there [in the Boks’ half] for a little bit after that so that’s a positive for us.”
Looking ahead to the third Test, Tupaea expressed the disappointment in the All Blacks’ camp but said they’ll be better for it on September 5.
“It’s a big Test match next week. We’re back to 1-1
“The change room is pretty sombre at the moment.
“We had a big goal of going up 2-0 in this series, and yeah, the boys are definitely hurting.
“We will regroup; we’ll have a day off tomorrow and reset on Monday again.”
