@NTA said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Second half thoughts:
McKenzie good in the air a couple of times, but gets beaten later not getting into the space a couple of times as well. Wind factor?
Noticeable - like the Kolbe intercept - that the Boks are leaving a lot of space for the last defender to cover BUT they're rushing into the eyeline of the attacker e.g. Savea's forward pass at the start of the 2nd half due to the 12 rushing hard.
It looks like a lack of patience; like watching my club side get two offloads away and making some metres, so they keep trying it but fail to understand they're running out of guys to cover rucks.
Bok 2nd try was error after error from the ABs - first all the back rowers are pinned in a retreating and penalisable scrum, then rangaboi puts a high tackle on Reinach for two penalties in a row. Meanwhile the AB backline have shot out of the line and are busy ruck watching when Kolisi takes the pop. Jordan and Sititi utterly fail to cover this breakout, leaving Jordie Barrett to do the work and leave the right side exposed. After Kolisi is tackled, the numbers aren't bad, just looking inward instead of at the danger on the edge: Kolbe.
Not sure why the AB restarts are so deep. Every time Wiese gets a runup and the Boks get a fairly easy possession.
In the 45th minute BB fields a kick and gives it to McKenzie on the 22 but outside - instead of using Jordie and Carter outside him he kicks it straight away. A minute later they get the ball deep inside their 22 and BB to McKenzie who has to try and find touch from the middle of the field. Not sure if there is any clear plan here.
Vaa'i puts in a stupid shoulder charge and is still doing the dickhead laugh and tough guy act after someone reacts. Hardly the "stoic, grim-faced and noble" AB of mythology. I guess there are some Chiefs fans who love it tho :man_shrugging:
Sititi really looks half a yard off the pace. Tamaiti Williams looks 5 yards off the pace.
At 50 minutes the handling errors and penalties are pretty even but the turnovers conceded favours the ABs 7-10. As Darryl Kerrigan said: "It's what you do with it".
The space is still there on the edges for the ABs, but jeez the skill execution is letting them down - Jordan's wobbly spiral that misses Proctor (who looked too slow TBH) and lands at Carter's feet being a prime example. Jordan should have gone at or around Libbok like the Wallabies did.
ABs a bit unlucky to get penalised at the scrum just on 54:00 - Bok THP elbow pointing straight down.
OMG 55:00 Bok forward pass missed (AR straight in line) then Savea turns it over only for BB to faff around. There is no clear direction in his mind - unless there is some magical bullshit involved, and a rampant forward pack, Barrett has no idea. And a chip kick right after it. Lol sack him.
Wiese eats black jerseys for dinner. Sititi, by comparison, tries a rugby league strip at nearly every tackle.
ABs blow a chance at competitiveness with obstruction at a maul in the 59th minute. After that we're through the looking glass, Alice... I think from this point I was actually watching the game, so I'll go bullet points from here. 
- Boks young guns start expressing themselves.
- Backup AB hooker is partly to blame, but fucking around at lineout moreso.
- Three ABs (Tupaea, Carter, Rangaboi) fail to bring down Willemse. Yeesh. They paused instead of smacking a guy on the back foot.
- CHIP KICK! OVERTHROW! OVERKICK!
- At 65:00 missed tackles: ABs 31-29 Boks
- Stupid offload by Jordan after taking the high ball gives the Boks a scrum with 13 to go just outside the AB 22.
- Hooker's break of BB's shit kick made to look better by a fairly shit AB chase line. Sets up field position for Kwagga's try
- Snyman's try is all down to Holland shooting out. I said that on the day I believe.
- 75:35 Hey Will Jordan: two hands for beginners! Tho at the scrum immediately afterwards the Boks should have been pinged as their THP absolutely shit the bed.
- CROSSFIELD KICK! CHIP KICK ARDIE!
- Tamaiti Williams out of alignment for the Boks last try, and instead of advancing, he retreats.
And a bloodied but victorious Esterhuizen is the icing on the cake.
That's the nuts and bolts. New post coming for summary thoughts.
Only three scrums in last 20. At 64:30 ABs get scrum penalty, at 67 ABs have nudge but Boks clear, and at 76:30 ABs get nudge, but Louw stands up taking Williams with him. So scrum wasnt the problem.
As for lineouts in that period, there were 6:
At 60 Vaa'i calls the fandango and ABs confuse themselves allowing Nortje to take ball hardly jumping;
62: FH wins easily
65:30 Throw too low to FH and PSDT gets hand in front
71 FH wins at front with throw meant for Boks middle pod
72 PSDT wins
77 Long throw to RD, who wins it but slap back with no control.
So apart from the self destruction at 60 the lineouts were actually even.