NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

All Blacks: Focus on huge Bok challenge in South Africa

Wynne Gray
By Wynne Gray
NZ Herald·
3 Aug, 2008 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Richard Kahui and Sitiveni Sivivatu have something to smile about. Photo / Dean Purcell

Richard Kahui and Sitiveni Sivivatu have something to smile about. Photo / Dean Purcell

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

KEY POINTS:

A relieved All Black squad left Eden Park after staunching their losing sequence in a performance assistant coach Steve Hansen rated as up with the best during the coaching team's 55-test reign.

After squaring the Bledisloe Cup series with a 39-10 victory, the All Blacks' thoughts were on
winning their next overseas assignment, against the Springboks in Cape Town to stay in the race for the defence of their Tri-Nations crown.

Hansen was optimistic after the weekend reversal against the Wallabies, a feat he compared with the All Blacks' opening win against the Boks in Wellington and the 2004 pounding of the French in Paris.

"It would be in the top three or four performances," Hansen declared of the latest victory.

It was high acclaim from the All Black forwards coach and an assessment which was probably also a reflection of the pressure the squad overcame on Saturday after successive defeats in Dunedin and Sydney.

The All Blacks and their staff were facing a hat-trick of defeats which last hurt an All Black side at the same Eden Park venue in 1994 when they fell to a final movement "try from the end of the earth" from the French.

This time the hosts conceded an early penalty lead but then drew level through a Daniel Carter kick.

Then they cantered off through try doubles to Tony Woodcock, Ma'a Nonu and 19 points kicked by Carter.

"We got things pretty spot on and probably the best thing was that it happened as we were under a lot of pressure and it was a group of young people involved," Hansen said.

It was a relief to staunch the run of defeats but playing the Boks in Cape Town would be a huge assignment.

"South Africa have three home games but we are in charge of our own destiny and if we win our remaining games we are in with a big show," Hansen said .

The selectors will take 26 players when they leave on Friday, with several decisions to be made this week about injured candidates Leon MacDonald and Rudi Wulf. MacDonald cried off this latest test because of continuing concussion problems while Wulf damaged a knee playing for Harbour in the national provincial championship.

Hansen confirmed the group would include halfbacks Jimmy Cowan, Piri Weepu and Andrew Ellis if they are all fit. Props Tony Woodcock and John Afoa would be used as backup for the hookers Andrew Hore and Keven Mealamu.

If MacDonald and Wulf do not travel, the selectors could include Otago's Paul Williams, who was included as cover for injuries earlier this season, in what would be a 14-12 forwards-backs split.

The All Blacks are restricted to their original squad selections unless they need to cover for injuries.

The Boks remain Tri-Nations favourites with their remaining tests all at home but they will face an All Black side with captain Richie McCaw back in action.

His return was remarkably influential for someone who had not played for six weeks. That impact was not lost on his former coach-turned Wallaby mentor.

"Richie was obviously an inspiration to the people around him. "He was at the front end of everything, not just physically but verbally and they responded to that," Deans said.

McCaw led the All Blacks tackling statistics, was strong at the breakdowns, his tackles dented Phil Waugh and then spilled the ball from Luke Burgess to set up Nonu's opening try while he was also influential in dealing with South African referee Mark Lawrence. The All Blacks' decision to go to lineouts gave them the multi-dimensional game they lacked last week in Sydney.

Hansen disputed the concept his side was gunshy about the area of the game, he said it was more a case of the All Blacks wanting to keep the ball in play to benefit from their fitness.

In the opening test against the Boks in Wellington, the All Blacks had avoided kicking the ball out and South Africa had no platform to work from.

At Carisbrook, the All Blacks kicked for touch in the first half and the visitors were able to get their game going.

Hansen did not like the idea of unrestricted numbers in the lineouts, he did not think that created a fair contest but those were some of the ELVs the game was trialling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

All Blacks

All Blacks veteran taking Japan sabbatical, re-signs beyond World Cup

Premium
OpinionPaul Lewis

Paul Lewis: French did the All Blacks a real favour but still questions remain

OpinionLiam Napier

Q&A: Our rugby expert answers readers' questions on All Blacks


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

All Blacks veteran taking Japan sabbatical, re-signs beyond World Cup
All Blacks

All Blacks veteran taking Japan sabbatical, re-signs beyond World Cup

Anton Lienert-Brown will join Ardie Savea on a Japan sabbatical next year.

22 Jul 11:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Paul Lewis: French did the All Blacks a real favour but still questions remain
Paul Lewis
OpinionPaul Lewis

Paul Lewis: French did the All Blacks a real favour but still questions remain

22 Jul 01:20 AM
Q&A: Our rugby expert answers readers' questions on All Blacks
Liam Napier
OpinionLiam Napier

Q&A: Our rugby expert answers readers' questions on All Blacks

22 Jul 01:09 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP