9. Cam Roigard – 7
Most of the great All Black attack came off Roigard’s guiding hand, but he struggled to manage a team that was largely backtracking in attack and defence for the majority of the match. He remains one of the strongest performers in this All Black squad.
10. Ruben Love – 6
Considering the intensity of the South African defence, Love acquitted himself decently enough today.
The strong areas of the losing performance from New Zealand were authored by Love and Roigard, and when they are on song, their attack can rival any defence.
This game does raise some questions about his game management, as it was clear that when the All Blacks struggled to make metres, he lacked solutions through kicking to alleviate the pressure.
However, there is little a 10 can do if his pack struggle to cross the gain line during phase play.
11. Leroy Carter – 4
Carter was poor throughout this match; I personally don’t understand why Rennie would include him in this lineup when he is notoriously poor in the backfield and in the kick battle.
He was a victim of Kolbe’s fast feet on more than one occasion and was not outstanding in attack, which hurts his rating. He did take his try well in the 65th minute, winning an easy footrace.
12. Jordie Barrett – 7
The All Black attack was not firing today, but Barrett was outstanding defensively. Along with Parker, he was the biggest thorn in the side of the Springbok attack.
He made a number of dominant tackles on some of the biggest South Africans and helped to stop the Springboks creating an insurmountable score in the first half and the first part of the second half.
13. Quinn Tupaea – 5
Tupaea carried directly and made strong metres when he got the ball, but in defence, he did struggle to defend in the wide channels as the Springboks maneuvered their forwards into positions to carry against Tupaea and his fellow backs.
A bright spot of his performance was his lack of mistakes, as he is always a sure pair of hands.
14. Will Jordan – 6
Created the first All Black try on his own by beating most of the Springboks’ right side of defence and playing a perfect pass to the supporting Roigard.
He was one of the highest carriers for the All Blacks and made metres as always. On the other hand, like McKenzie he was exposed in kick battles and allowed the South Africans to advance their field position by kicking into the All Black backfield.
15. Damian McKenzie – 6
McKenzie was strong in attack, as he usually is, but struggled with the South African attacking kicks that gained them significant territory throughout the match.
His score was crucial in the 29th minute and could have been a turning point if the All Blacks had contained the Springbok attack in the last quarter of the first half.
Replacements
16. Asafo Aumua – 7
Aumua carried well again coming off the bench, and while his set-piece is not to the same standard as Taylor’s, there is always a noticeable increase in post-contact metres for the New Zealand attack when he is substituted on.
He is perhaps the form impact sub in this series and could compete for a starting position later in this series.
17. Xavier Numia – 5
Numia performed better than Lomax and carried the same amount as his counterpart in half the game time.
His willingness to be involved in attack is a point of difference compared to the other New Zealand tightheads, and he withstood the South African scrum well.
18. Fletcher Newell – 5
19. Patrick Tuipulotu – 5
20. Peter Lakai – 6
21. Kyle Preston – 5
A fantastic piece of skill in the last five minutes took the All Blacks into touching distance with their opponents. His impact with ball in hand is something to look out for late in the next two tests.
22. Anton Lienert-Brown – 5.5
23. Josh Moorby – N/A
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Rugby Quiz: Can you name the past 20 All Blacks captains?
The All Blacks have enjoyed some of the greatest success in rugby history, including back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015. Along the way, some of New Zealand’s biggest names have taken on the captaincy.
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But how well do you remember them? See if you can name the past 20 All Blacks captains and prove your knowledge of New Zealand rugby.
