“men against boys” been more apt as on this sad day for Springbok rugby

NEW ZEALAND (18) 40

SOUTH AFRICA (7) 7

Never has the saying “men against boys” been more apt as on this sad day for Springbok rugby. We can only hope that Rassie Erasmus is working some magic with the Rustenburg 21 at the training camp, sorry “collective rehabilitation gathering” as it is officially known, so that this day of torture becomes irrelevant at a triumphant Rugby World Cup 2011.

Even if that came to pass, Springbok purists will wonder if cheapening the jersey with humiliating performances is worth it.

Few South Africans expected a miracle but six tries to one and 40 points? Over the two games of this tour the Boks shipped an aggregate of 79 points and 11 tries. They scored just three of their own in a combined total of 27 points.

Rest some players ahead of a World Cup, sure, but don’t send a team overseas without a backbone of experience.

As was the case in Sydney, the Springbok defensive organisation was appalling, although this is not altogether surprising considering this is a shoestring side thrown to the wolves.

Territory and possession was more or less equal but the Boks missed 25 tackles, the All Blacks just seven, the Kiwis won 10 turnovers at the breakdowns to the Boks’ three and the home team pinched four lineout throws to zero – and that was effectively the ball game.

Graham Henry, the All Blacks boss, rated his team’s performance “7 out of 10” for scoring three tries either side of half time … one wonders how he would have rated the Boks?

The smug coach said he was looking forward to “big challenges coming up at Eden Park (against Australia this week) and in Port Elizabeth – I assume many of the 21 will be back, I hear they have been training hard for it…”

His assistant coach, Steve Hansen was asked about the collapsing scrums and he said: “That will fix itself in Port Elizabeth when they bring back the other 22 blokes.” A suggestion from him that the Bok front row was not strong enough to keep up the scrum.

Most of the six tries came from the All Blacks exploiting space out wide when the Bok defensive line was slow to regroup.

Prop Wyatt Crockett scored the first when he was on the end of an overlap and two minutes later wing Zac Guildford cashed in on a brilliant grubber through the defence by Dan Carter. That scoring burst meant it was Sydney all over again for the Boks.

John Smit was doing his best to rally the troops and had a very good personal game, including a try off the back of a driven lineout that drew him level with James Dalton and Bismarck du Plessis for the record number of tries scored by a Bok hooker (5). Smit’s try last week against the Wallabies did not count in this regard because at that time he had moved to loosehead prop.

There was sympathy for Smit when wing Cory Jane received a long pass out wide and he skinned the Bok hooker to score his team’s third try.

“The biggest factor we have to look at going home is our turnover defence, when we have had the ball and coughed it up,” Smit said. “What they do with it and how we react to it is crucial. We also turned over their ball but they were much more enthusiastic than us in establishing a line from turnovers. There just was not enough effort in creating a line. Two skip passes and we were in trouble. It was scary times for me as a hooker on the blind suddenly having a wing run at me.”

Carter missed all three conversions to let the Boks off slightly on the scoreboard and at 18-7 at half time they had not given up the fight, and if they had scored next they might have had a chance. Make that a fat chance … the only points of the second half (22) were scored by the All Blacks, both wings scored their second tries and replacement flyhalf Colin Slade got the sixth.

“I can’t tell you how terrible it is to lose like this,” said a shattered Smit. “We expected more from this tour, we are gutted with the effort.”

And so say all of us.

Scorers

All Blacks: Tries: Wyatt Crockett, Cory Jane (2), Zac Guildford (2), Colin Slade. Penalties: Dan Carter (2). Conversions: Carter (2).

Springboks: Try: John Smit. Conversion: Morne Steyn

MIKE GREENAWAY AT WESTPAC STADIUM