All Blacks v Springboks - Gregor Paul: Dangerous Springboks tactic could lead to disaster

Beauden Barrett was taken out in midair by Kurt-Lee Arendse. Photo / Photosport

OPINION:

Amid the gloom that is descending across the rugby landscape in the wake of the Mugging in Mbombela, it can't get lost that the All Blacks were left unprotected by the match officials as they tried to deal with the Springboks' aerial assault.

It was a small miracle that there wasn't a serious, life-changing injury incurred in Mbombela where the Boks adopted an almost reckless approach to retrieving high kicks.

Beauden Barrett was horribly taken out in the air late in the game – an act for which Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was sent off – but so too was his brother Jordie also tipped over in the act of jumping for a high ball and yet the collision wasn't referred to the TMO.

Beauden Barrett was taken out in midair by Kurt-Lee Arendse. Photo / Photosport

Those two incidents were part of what the All Blacks felt was a general tactic by the Springboks to run heavy interference on New Zealand's defensive attempts to defuse South Africa's high kicking game.

Head coach Ian Foster revealed that he will be seeking clarification from Sanzaar, asking them to explain why more wasn't done to investigate the incident in the 10th minute where Jordie was clearly taken out in the air as he attempted to collect a high kick.

Both Barrett brothers – especially Beauden – were fortunate not to have been seriously injured, and the All Blacks' griping about the inability of the officials to do more to pick up on the activities of South Africa's ground troops to aggressively support the aerial campaign is not a case of misplacing the root of their problems.

The context can't be misconstrued. The All Blacks can't possibly look at all the areas in which they were outplayed in Mbombela and home in on the rough and tumble South Africa generated with their kick-chasers as the difference between the two teams.

How the Springboks used blocking runners and threw themselves at the All Blacks catcher in the air is not the story of the game, but it is still a story.

It's a story because it can't be allowed to continue and as well as the Springboks played, they were able to enhance the effectiveness of their kicking game by employing questionable tactics.

The importance of this extends way beyond one game as, a year out from a World Cup, it's apparent many of the leading teams are employing a level of sophistication to their kick-chase strategies with a view to seeing how much carnage they can cause in the general vicinity of the catcher.

There's a whole art form to using blocking runners to obstruct defenders, to crowd the space of the catcher and create a dangerous environment.

South Africa's skillset was generally better than New Zealand's in the air but so too did they benefit from some incredible leniency from the officials to allow them to gain extra mileage.

All Blacks captain Sam Cane speaks to referee Angus Gardner. Photo / Photosport

And the deeper concern here is that someone could be badly hurt – as in 'never walk again' hurt – if officials don't do more to ensure that there is clear space for catchers to jump into.

Secondly, by the World Cup, if officials don't get wise to the fact that teams are deliberately and skilfully creating chaos to enhance their chances of winning back high kicks, tests could fall victim to a new level of cynicism that encourages teams to boot the ball in the air and then intimidate the defensive side out of jumping for it.

We may in fact already be at that point and New Zealand won't be concerned so much about what state the game will be in at the World Cup, but what exactly they will encounter this week at Ellis Park.

Here they are facing the prospect of a fourth straight defeat and their sixth in their last seven tests, and with the future of their coaching team uncertain, they need a fair chance to defend what is a key strategy of the Springboks.

They have a host of other issues to fix – most notably their work at the breakdown where they were inaccurate and slow – but being able to catch more kicks would certainly be helpful.

The Springboks' first try came from a high kick that the All Blacks couldn't cleanly catch and they were also able to consistently win back possession on the back of their aerial assault.

The All Blacks have work to do on their technique and timing, but the officials have the more important role to play in helping them stay safe and do their jobs without fear.