Outclassed

By Scott MacLean

It would have been a novel experience for thousands clad in black, and perhaps many of those in green as they streamed away from the Cake Tin Stadium last night. Seeing the All Blacks lose at the venue isn’t new – it seems to have the opposite effect at present of The Fortress At The National Stadium ™ – but this was different.

They weren’t just beaten. They were outclassed, dismantled, and embarrassed. And set a new mark that no one wants on their record; the heaviest loss in over 120 years of All Black Test rugby.

And the thing is it was completely deserved. Aside from the early try to debutant Leroy Carter the home side barely fired a shot all night. Sure, there was an ounce of luck in Cheslin Kolbe’s first try but if you don’t make your own no one else is going to do that.

As for the second half where the visitors ran in five tries without reply? It will go down as one of the greatest halves in Springbok history. Forget being on another level, they were in another dimension after the interval.

With the benefit of hindsight, what we might have seen was a masterclass from Rassie Erasmus – and to a large extent his assistant, former All Black Tony Brown – starting with naming his team on Monday. Widely interpreted at the time as a reaction to the defeat, was it the start of a carefully prepared ambush? A “glory or death” move?

Fine players that they are, Handre Pollard and Damien de Allende are pragmatic types and while Jesse Kriel and Willie Le Roux offer more, they’re not getting any younger. In their places came Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damien Willemse, Ethan Hooker, and Aphelele Fassi; young players with plenty to prove. And our media bit hard into a narrative that Erasmus was all but surrendering.

Whatever Rassie’s plan was, it perhaps didn’t quite go to script when Feinberg-Mngomezulu was forced off in the first half and thrusting Manie Libbok – who has plenty of detractors on the famously-sane South African Rugby social media universe – into the action. But whatever was said at halftime obviously worked, and despite a brutal war of attrition that forced seemingly constant backline reshuffles – Fassi departed to be replaced by Andre Esterhuizen and pushing Willemse to fullback and replacement halfback Grant Williams onto the wing in place of Kolbe – they simply adapted and overcame.

As for the All Blacks, no one will come out of that game with their reputation enhanced, particularly in the tight-five and those with the surnames “Barrett” and “McKenzie”. Scott Robertson will have plenty to ponder before the Bledisloe Tests and you can beat that Joe Schmidt will be taking copious notes.

But outside of those four World Cups – something else those from the Republic like to remind everyone about – this was one of the Springboks finest hours.

And you can bet the brandy would have tasted great.

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