Yellow card for careless tackle. Seemed to be a pace shorter than Kolbe. Beaten by Malcolm Marx for late try, again no easy task to stop. Conceded two penalties.
13. Rieko Ioane – 6
An improvement on last week. Knock on with All Blacks hot on attack in first half. Improved at breakdown when needed. Looked better on the wing for brief time out wide. Helped keep Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel at bay.
12. Jordie Barrett – 8
Monster effort in defence with 12 tackles and a team-high 15 carries. A calm head on attack and unafraid to get in the mix. Good early touch finder. A poor kick for touch from penalty. Untidy in the air a few times.
11. Mark Tele’a - 4
Ball slipped through his hands into touch attempting to catch a long kick. Had a few touches and made metres out of nothing. Off after 50 minutes.
10. Damian McKenzie – 5
Kicking and running game didn’t make a huge impact. Brave in the air but produced mixed results. Pinged for high contact after failing to take high ball early. Kicked four penalties, one from far out but the other three from close range. Missed two from distance and a crucial late one from in front. Poor kick late just gave away possession from own line.
9. Cortez Ratima – 6
Impressive in a major starting role. Earned a penalty steal. Off after 50 minutes. Would have liked to see him out there longer.
8. Ardie Savea – 7
Was everywhere with 12 carries and 12 tackles. Penalty for early tackle on halfback. Another penalty probably unfairly called at breakdown. Tackle set up Ratima penalty steal. Four defenders beaten but all in first half. Lost ball at lineout during attacking opportunity late.
7. Sam Cane – 8
Almost vintage Cane. Try-saver on Kolbe. Penalty steal deep inside own half. Matched Pieter-Steph du Toit for impact on defence with 12 tackles. Great to have him back but sad to see him go at end of season.
6. Wallace Sititi 8
Made a huge impact in his first test start. Strong runs beating six defenders from his 10 carries. Lasted 60 minutes and gave the Springboks trouble that entire time. Could have needed him 10 more minutes at least.
5. Tupou Vaa’i - 9
His best test match to date. Impressive around the breakdown and broken play. Stole early lineout but ball went into touch. Crucial penalty steal on halfway late followed by a lineout steal. Was probably the standout player that stepped up late in the test. Was beaten to final lineout, however.
4. Scott Barrett (c) - 8
Another superb outing from the skipper, especially in the first half. Two penalty steals. Great pressure at breakdown. But crucial knock-on on attack in final quarter as All Blacks looked to score and take lead.
3. Tyrel Lomax – 8
Played 73 minutes, a staggering effort for a starting prop. Brilliant play around the field, like a centre at times. Better scrum after a messy start. Team high 15 tackles. Penalty offside gave Boks chance to attack for opening try. Late scrum penalty and the late yellow was costly. Maybe tired legs.
2. Codie Taylor – 9
The best of the All Blacks across the two tests in South Africa, maybe only bettered by Pieter-Steph du Toit across both teams. Off after 17 minutes for HIA but returned to finish out the test. Had a penalty steal and the most carries in first half with Sititi despite the 10 minute break. Ran for 71m, more than the combined efforts of Canan Moodie and fellow lineout thrower Cheslin Kolbe, 13 tackles as well. Final lineout was on mark, just well anticipated by du Toit and Boks.
1. Tamaiti Williams – 7
68 minutes! Immense. Part of a scrum that only got better as test went on. Made nine tackles.
Reserves:
16. Asafo Aumua 5. On for 10 minutes in first half. Two solid lineout throws and made five tackles in that time.
17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi 4. Played last 12 minutes.
18. Fletcher Newell 4. Only needed for last three minutes.
19. Sam Darry N/A.
20. Luke Jacobson 5. On for Sititi for last 20 minutes. Didn’t make same impact with ball in hand but impressive nine tackles in that time.
21. TJ Perenara 4. On at 50. Missed tackle out wide which led to clean break. Keeps making enemies of referees.
22. Beauden Barrett 4. On for final 20 but was not as impactful as hoped.
23. Anton Lienert-Brown 5. On at 50. A better showing than the player he replaced, might be the only reserve who can say that.
Cameron McMillan has been a sports journalist since 2003 and is NZME’s Deputy Head of Sport. A career highlight was live blogging the 2011 Rugby World Cup final from Eden Park (in a media box surrounded by French journalists).
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