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Caleb Clarke of the All Blacks breaks a tackle during the Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian Wallabies at Eden Park on October 18, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty Images)
The All Blacks took a step forward in the second Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia last weekend, serving as a timely reminder that the withdrawal of the Springboks from the Rugby Championship was the right decision.
See here: Withdrawal of the Springboks from the Rugby Championship
Matches played on opposite sides of the world within a few hours of each other demonstrated exactly why the Springboks’ reluctance to face the All Blacks and Wallabies in the Rugby Championship next month was justified.
The Stormers’ 23-17 victory over the Lions in Newlands on Saturday night included eight 2019 Rugby World Cup winners on the field. Compared to what followed in Auckland 10 hours later, the first match seemed to be played on the sand on the beach.
The Super Rugby Unlocked contest had quality moments, especially and pleasingly for Lions midfielder Elton Jantjies, but overall it lacked the same intensity and precision.
It was a similar story between the Cheetahs and the Bulls at Bloemfontein on Friday night, won 19-17 by the home team. Of course, these were not test matches, but the two Super Rugby Unlocked games between traditional powerhouses included a total of 26 players who have played international rugby.
These weren’t weak teams, but in the early hours of Sunday morning, the intensity, physique, and speed with which the All Blacks and Wallabies played, made it seem like a different sport.
The All Blacks in particular took their game to a higher level after the previous week’s 16-16 draw against Australia in Wellington. New Zealand’s 27-7 victory at Eden Park was ruthless, clinical and incomparable to anything seen on the South African fields hours earlier.
Obviously, a Springbok team, selected from among the best South African players both at home and in the European and Japanese leagues, would be stronger. But there is no escape from the lack of intensity of the match that South African players have lost, and there is simply no shortcut to racking up the necessary minimum 400 minutes of playing time.
Stormers coach John Dobson, always down to earth, made no excuses for a mediocre performance. “The dressing room felt like a loss and we were very disappointed with our performance,” Dobson said after the game. “There is no doubt that we will be better for it.
“As Siya (Kolisi) said in the dressing room, individually there were some really poor performances. In five lineouts we failed to shoot, whether the ball was ripped from us or we simply lost the lineout. There was a little period in the first half where we went through some phases, but, beyond that, not really. We were certainly not effective in attack and it is something we have to work on.
“It seemed like we hadn’t played for a long time and maybe the other teams got that benefit from the extra game last week.”
Sub-standard performances were a symptom of all games, but across the ocean, the All Blacks left the drawing game behind at home.
Eden Park dominance continues
The All Blacks continued their dominance at Eden Park, which spans 26 years. The last time they lost at their Auckland base was against France in 1994.
Saturday’s win over the Wallabies brought their Eden Park record since losing 23-20 to Les Blues, to 42 wins and two draws in subsequent 44 rounds at the venue.
Furthermore, it left the Wallabies winless in New Zealand since 2001 and also on the brink of losing the Bledisloe Cup by 18th consecutive year. There are two games left in the series, both in Australia, and the Wallabies need to win both to win back the Trans-Tasman Cup, which they last held in 2002.
“There is a lot of confidence in the group and we are well aware that this Bledisloe is still alive,” Wallaby mainstay James Slipper said at a press conference at Auckland Airport on Monday.
“We played well in Wellington and we were probably disappointed last night. But we have two games at home, starting in Sydney and then Brisbane and we are very excited to come back and get caught.
“Because there is one thing this group wants to do, win the Bledisloe. Yes, we have a lot of work to do, but we don’t feel like we’re too far away. “
The Wallabies might believe they are not too far behind, but the gap between the sides widened between Wellington and Auckland. The All Blacks are likely to improve, and because they can handle the snow, they are already 20 points better than the Wallabies.
New Zealand’s record in Australia is impressive too. In 28 events in Australia since 2002, when the Wallabies last won the Bledisloe, the All Blacks won 17, with just nine losses and two draws.
Australia have not beaten the All Blacks twice in a row in the same year since 2001. And that is something they will have to do to win the Bledisloe Cup. DM
