Jordie Barrett is tackled by Malcolm Marx in the All Blacks' 35-7 loss to the Springboks at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
Jordie Barrett is tackled by Malcolm Marx in the All Blacks' 35-7 loss to the Springboks at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
15. Beauden Barrett – 4/10
Ran the ball with limited success, while his involvement was hindered as the All Blacks were under the pump for most of the game. His exit options weren’t always well executed – with one average kick opening the door for the Springboks early in thesecond half summing up his night.
14. Will Jordan – 4/10
Struggled to get involved in the contest for much of the first half as the All Blacks had little to no possession but had a bit more time with ball in hand as the match progressed. Had a try ruled out just before the break and conceded a couple of turnovers.
Had some good touches and showed a flash of quality in his pass to put Ardie Savea into space early in the contest. Had his running game stifled by the Springboks’ defence, with seven carries for just 16m. He was among the leading tacklers for the side, with eight made and just one miss.
12. Jordie Barrett - 4/10
Was perhaps guilty of trying to force something to happen when, after beating defenders coming out of his own 22, he offloaded into the hands of Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, who ran away to score. He led the All Blacks’ tackle count, though.
Tried hard to get involved despite the All Blacks struggling to maintain possession. Worked hard to get into a position to contest restarts and didn’t shy away from contributing defensively. When he did get room to move, he looked dangerous and beat plenty of defenders. A bright spot in a dull team outing.
10. Richie Mo’unga - 5/10
Missed what should have been a relatively easy penalty attempt to get the team on the board, but shook it off and had some good moments. He didn’t get a lot of opportunities with the ball on attack in the first half but did some great defensive work – highlighted by holding up Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx over the line.
Richie Mo'unga looks to shake off Duane Vermeulen during the All Blacks' loss to South Africa. Photo / Getty Images
9. Aaron Smith - 4/10
Usually one of the All Blacks’ most reliable performers, Smith’s night was almost defined by a shoddy pass from the ruck just metres out from his own line which dribbled into the in-goal and Sam Cane had to dive on to concede a 5m scrum. It was an off night for the halfback.
8. Ardie Savea – 5/10
Savea showed glimpses of the threat he poses on attack both with ball in hand and in the support lines he ran. However, these moments were few and far between, and he became less of a factor as the game went on.
A mixed night for the All Blacks captain who put in plenty of work at the breakdown, but was sent to the sin bin in the first half. He put his hand up for plenty of carries, but couldn’t make a dent in the physical Springboks defence and was replaced with about 20 minutes remaining.
6. Luke Jacobson – 5/10
With an opportunity to stake a claim to the No 6 jersey in the absence of Shannon Frizell, he made a solid start before his night was cut abruptly short as he was replaced by Tupou Vaa’i before the end of the first half – a reactionary move following Scott Barrett’s red card.
5. Sam Whitelock – 5/10
In a physical contest, Whitelock was kept well under wraps by his South African counterparts. In a 51-minute shift, he took just two carries and made a few tackles, while his impact at the set piece was minimal. Not the kind of performance we’ve come to expect from the veteran lock.
4. Scott Barrett - 2/10
After being the unlucky one sent to the bin on the back of a high penalty count early, it became a test to forget for Barrett after being sent off – a second yellow card - for an ugly shot on Malcolm Marx just before halftime. Barrett became the first All Black to be sent off twice and now faces a nervous wait to find out how many World Cup matches he will miss.
Scott Barrett was sent off late in the first half of the All Blacks' loss at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
3. Tyrel Lomax - 4/10
Struggled against the Springboks’ scrum early and conceded a couple of penalties before leaving with an injury just 15 minutes into the contest. It remains to be seen just how serious the injury is, but it will be an added concern for the management team on top of the team’s poor performance.
2. Dane Coles – 3/10
Was required to do plenty of work on defence and answered the call to do so. He had his issues at the set piece, with the Springboks scrum getting the better of the All Blacks’ front row, and the lineout being shaky as well. Coles did stand strong as the All Blacks came under heavy fire throughout his shift; he was replaced at halftime.
1. Ethan de Groot - 4/10
Struggled with his discipline throughout the contest and was outmatched at the scrum. He conceded four of his five penalties in the first half and although he worked hard to atone through his defence and work around the ruck, he’ll be disappointed with his performance at the scrum.
Reserves
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho - 5/10
17. Tamaiti Williams - 4/10
18. Fletcher Newell - 5/10
19. Tupou Vaa’i - 5/10
20. Josh Lord - 4/10
21. Dalton Papalii - 4/10
22. Cam Roigard - 7/10
23. Anton Lienert-Brown - 4/10
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
