Dan Biggar explains how ‘big difference’ between Springboks and All Blacks determined outcome of first Greatest Rivalry Test
All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea on the charge against the Springboks and ex-Wales and British & Irish Lions fly-half Dan Biggar (inset).
Dan Biggar feels there was a ‘big difference’ between the Springboks and All Blacks which played a crucial role in the visitors’ triumph in Johannesburg last Saturday.
The men in black made a statement of intent in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’s opening Test at Ellis Park as they soaked up the early pressure from the world champions en route to a shock 33-16 win.
The Springboks came into the four-Test series in a confident mood after registering confident mood after registering comfortable Nations Championship victories against England, Scotland and Wales last month.
Rassie Erasmus’ charges dominated the early stages at Ellis Park, but failed to take all their opportunities and only held a 13-12 lead at half-time.
Although the men in Green and Gold made a plethora of unforced errors, which contributed to their defeat, Biggar believes the All Blacks deserve plenty of credit for the end result.
“It just goes to show how strong the Springboks have been over the last number of years, when the All Blacks winning is classed as a surprise,” he said on Biggar Thinking: Rugby Analysis.
‘They didn’t pull the trigger’
“It’s the Boks’ first loss in 12 matches and their first loss at home since August 2025. A big thing that’s been such a strength in the Springboks game over the last number of years was completely missing at Ellis Park on Saturday: They didn’t pull the trigger.
“Fair play, how good was that performance from the All Blacks? Soaked up all that pressure in the first 60-65 minutes and then just cut loose at the end with their pace, their skill, their power, their handling ability. But it was just their clinical edge that was the big difference.
“Five tries to one, zero handling errors in the opposition 22.”
Biggar also highlighted some key areas of that game which the All Blacks dominated and ultimately paved the way to victory.
“(They) filled the line with 14-15 players that made it so difficult for South Africa to get to their star X-Factor players in the game,” said the former Wales and British & Irish Lions fly-half.
“Rassie Erasmus said it himself, actually, that they surprised the Springboks with their tackle technique. They looked at lots of rips, so they were soaking the collision up but ripping the ball out, causing lots of handling errors from the Springboks.
“They were aggressive at the breakdown, counter-rucking and making it really difficult for Grant Williams. They were able, not so much competing on the ball, but just making absolutely every ruck an absolute fight for him to dig.
“What that does, it causes the Springbok players, when they’re coming onto the ball, they’re having to stutter and stop and start rather than the ball being on a plate with nobody touching the ruck or nobody touching the people sealing the ruck off.
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“And it just made the Springboks game look so average, which is something we have not said about the Springboks for a long, long time. So brilliant tactics, brilliantly executed attack. They used short sides, they used pick and goes.
‘They got their best players into the game’
“They switched it up a little bit. They had pace. They got their best players into the game.
“And then the other side of the ball, they made every single ruck and every single breakdown a nightmare for Grant Williams and just filled that line with 14, 15 players and just worked their socks off and didn’t give the Springboks an inch.”
While there were several players who deserve credit for the All Blacks’ victory, Biggar singled out star winger Will Jordan for special praise while he also tipped his hat to their head coach Dave Rennie, who improved his impressive record at Test level against the Springboks.
“Will Jordan, what a player, what a Test match try-scorer. 53 in 58 matches is just an insane, insane strike rate,” he said.
“I’d love to know, is he the most ruthless finisher of all time? If there’s a word for me to sum up that All Blacks performance on Saturday, it would be clinical. Just brilliant.
“Every time they got in the 22, understood their tactics, nullified the Springbok game and fair play to Dave Rennie. I think it’s four out of five. I think he’s won against South Africa when he’s been coaching Australia as well. His first away trip to Ellis Park.
“So he clearly knows how to get a job done against the Springboks and they were brilliant on Saturday.”
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Biggar also emphasised how the All Blacks and Springboks’ contrasting performances contributed to the end result.
“If the word we use to describe that All Blacks performance was clinical, the Springboks’ performance was the complete and utter opposite,” he explained.
“Yes, the scrum changed when the All Blacks made some front-row replacements, which definitely had an effect on the game.
“But the area in which the game was won and lost for me was the efficiency in opposition 22. I think it was 12 visits each or 12 or 13 visits each. The All Blacks scored five tries from their entries, two and a half points per entry and the Springboks scored one try.
“I think it was 0.6 points per entry, which is so, so unlike the Springboks. So when I think of the Springboks, the blueprint for their 22 attack and it’s the hardest part on the pitch to defend.”