All Blacks great: Springboks clash ‘doesn’t fall favourably for us’ after confidence-killing Argentina post-mortem
All Blacks dejected after Argentina try and Springboks lift Freedom Cup after beating New Zealand in 2024.
All Blacks great Justin Marshall believes that the Springboks are in a stronger position heading into the Eden Park Test as the inquest continues into the All Blacks’ first defeat in 2025.
New Zealand host South Africa next up in the Rugby Championship in the most eagerly anticipated clash since the Rugby World Cup.
They reside in first and second position respectively in the World Rugby rankings but, ironically, neither will arrive at Eden Park in particularly great shape.
Both sides fail to convince
The Boks were stunned 38-22 by the Wallabies at Ellis Park in their Rugby Championship opener, while the All Blacks succumbed 29-23 to Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus’ men managed to respond to their loss, overcoming Australia to kick-start their title defence, but it was not entirely convincing.
That reversal in round one did refocus the South African minds, however, as they went back to basics for the Cape Town encounter and perhaps the same could happen to Scott Robertson’s outfit ahead of the upcoming double header.
Marshall, who of course has first-hand experience of the New Zealand set-up having won 81 caps, has his doubts, though, and believes that the review will be brutal.
“It doesn’t fall favourably for us,” he told Sport Nation’s The Rugby Run. “I’ve been in All Black changing rooms in Test match build-ups where we have had a loss and it creates a lot of ‘whys’.
“Why did this happen? Why were you here? Why were you not there when you were supposed to be there? Why did you not deal with that in the air? Why were you not at that breakdown and cleanout? Why were we off? Why was this performance lacking some real grit?
“When those questions are asked, it’s a truthful conversation but it’s not an easy one to come out feeling massively confident, about yourself as an individual or as a team.”
The All Blacks at least have a fallow week to get that loss out of the system before they prepare to face the Springboks in what will be a historic occasion.
New Zealand are unbeaten at Eden Park since 1994 but many believe that the Springboks, who have not played there for 12 years, are best placed to end that streak.
“I know what is negative and that’s the 22-hour flight back from Argentina, which doesn’t feel very nice. That really is reality knowing you’ve got to get back to New Zealand and there’s going to be pressure,” Marshall said.
“There’s going to be people looking at you because you have changed history to a negative.
“When you do digest a loss like that, there will be lots of questions but then you’ve got to move forward real quickly.”
Midfield issues
The debate has already started as to what went wrong and what the All Blacks need to do in order to defeat the Springboks in Auckland.
New Zealand have particularly struggled behind the scrum with Marshall himself criticising the performances of wings Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece.
The 52-year-old also recognises that they still have issues at centre with Billy Proctor so far failing to make an impact at Test level.
“Centre it still a problem for me. Leicester Fainga’anuku has been brought back for that very reason I think, he’s the player they’ll certainly be looking at for that jersey,” Marshall said.
“They seemed very reluctant to see what a [Timoci] Tavatavanawai looks like at 13 and then obviously the other option that’s still in camp is Anton Lienert-Brown.
“It’s about us being able to get width in our game, which we don’t have at the moment. A bit of that I feel is because both of our wingers are playing too narrow.
“Rieko’s playing on the wing like he played at centre. He’s playing really narrow and at times coming way off his wing.
“When you’ve got two wings that are doing that, we’re losing the width in our game. What you do need then is the ability for the centre to be able to recognise that and control your wingers and your back three.
“An Anton Lienert-Brown I guess can do that because he’s got the experience whereas the other guys don’t.”
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