The All Blacks suffered at 33-26 defeat against the Springboks in the second Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, levelling the series to 1-1.
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It was a far cry from their strong performance at Ellis Park last week, and a few members of Dave Rennie’s side struggled in Cape Town.
With that in mind, here are three All Blacks who flopped against the Springboks, and who should replace them.
Codie Taylor
It was far from a vintage display from the world-class hooker in Cape Town.
Taylor showed plenty of physicality and was willing to front up against the advancing Springbok pack, but he also made several costly set-piece errors, including a number of poor lineout throws early in the contest.
Verdict: Bring Asafo Aumua in
Taylor’s experience is unquestionable, but Aumua once again made an impact after coming off the bench. Although his set-piece work is not yet at Taylor’s level, New Zealand’s attack always seems to gain more post-contact metres when he enters the game.
He has arguably been the standout impact substitute of the series so far and could now make a genuine case for a starting role later in the series.
