After an emphatic win over the Wallabies at Loftus a week ago, the Springboks came crashing back to earth this morning when they were handed a convincing 35-20 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland.
Also read: Junior Boks fall short as Ireland prevails in U20 Championship semi-final
Not even a desperate flurry late in the match could salvage a disappointing performance by the South Africans after the New Zealanders came out swinging, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first quarter of the match.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Let these great offers inspire you and fuel your imagination! Get them here.
The Boks came close to getting on the board on more than one occasion, including an early effort by Cheslin Kolbe when a try was disallowed after the winger failed to ground the ball successfully.
Was this a try by Cheslin Kolbe? 👀
Schalk and Shimmy seem to disagree with the ref here 👇
Score: 17-0
📺 Stream #NZLvRSA live: https://t.co/bDeiretgWP pic.twitter.com/8vaS6IoTSc
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 15, 2023
A Faf de Klerk penalty eventually troubled the scorers, deep into the first period, as the All Blacks went into the second stanza 20-3 ahead.
Three Springbok tries in the second half did little but reduce the victory margin with the home team maintaining their winning streak in Auckland with another committed performance.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Let these great offers inspire you and fuel your imagination! Get them here.
A late try for the Boks brought the visitors within two scoring opportunities of the win and a single try away from a bonus point.
However, their efforts fell short as the All Blacks held out to the end for an impressive victory and will go into their next weekend with tremendous confidence.
Need a reliable car, but tight on a budget? Have a look at these offers for under R100 000. View the deals here.
Also read:
Picture: SARugby.co.za