There was much more pressure on the All Blacks for the game at Eden Park. Photo / Andrew Cornaga, Photosport
In your biggest test in years, you score a try against your greatest rivals after 97 seconds. And then barely celebrate.
If anything summed up the unrelenting focus of the All Blacks last Saturday night at Eden Park, it was the reaction after their first try.
With so much on the line, it was an amazing start, one of the quickest tries scored against the Springboks in New Zealand rugby history. But many of the team were already headed back to halfway moments after Emoni Narawa had dotted down, thinking about the kick-off reception. There was no over-celebrating, no extravagant gestures or routines, just an immediate sense of back to work.
That more than anything, epitomises the All Blacks’ enduring success; as other teams talk about next phase, next job, they live it. A lot has changed with the All Blacks over the years. The lack of players from provincial teams, the wall-to-wall coverage, the year-round schedule and the amount of gear – as old boys will relate – which is crazy. And everyone wears fancy Adidas footwear, with the entire team in fluoro-yellow boots, aside from Ardie Savea wearing a special pair to commemorate his 100th test.
But a lot hasn’t. The commitment to excellence, the mastery of basic skills, the natural flair. The mantra of not getting carried away, though not as extreme as the 1970s or 1980s when barely a handshake was exchanged after a try. The pressure, the expectation, and the ability to zone in on a goal.
Captain Scott Barrett and halfback Finlay Christie would say after the match that the team had adopted a “no days off” mentality in the build-up – and it showed. They weren’t perfect in their execution – far from it – but they weren’t going to fall victim to concentration lapses or brain fades.
Unfortunately, South Africa did, with a series of mistakes, from obstructing their own backline move, dithering over a lineout or throwing a long pass to a winger who wasn’t there. They looked a bit frazzled, from the moment Willie Le Roux tackled thin air in attempting to stop Narawa.
“Every time it is another stupid error that we make… it wasn’t the same error,” rued Boks coach Rassie Erasmus afterwards.
There was much more pressure on the All Blacks. While South Africa essentially had a free hit – with this loss forgotten in time – a New Zealand defeat would have been remembered for years. But they chose to embrace it, even if they were feeling the weight.
“Keep bringing the pressure,” said Savea post-match, in front of a massive media throng. “For me, I love it.”
It was a unique occasion, with fans arriving up to three hours early. The South African contingent was noisy and colourful, the biggest opposition bloc at Eden Park since the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour. And they weren’t just from Auckland’s North Shore, but from Australia and further afield.
That added a rare vibe to the crowd. If Saturday was the night when Scott Robertson’s team found themselves, it was also an occasion when the Eden Park faithful delivered. All Blacks crowds in Auckland don’t always have a good reputation – too quiet, too passive, too reactive, too much Remuera, not enough Rānui – but this felt different. The All Blacks chant started in the first minute and there was vibrant energy throughout.
It helped that the home side maintained a decent cushion for most of the match, which meant less angst than the 2011 Rugby World Cup final or the white knuckle ride of the 2015 Cricket World Cup semifinal.
The touches of magic also helped, from Beauden Barrett’s nonchalant left-footed strike – with no angle – for a 50/22, to Wallace Sititi’s beautifully timed no-look pass to set up the second try to Will Jordan. As the crowd celebrated that one, John Farnham’s Take the Pressure Down played over the stadium speakers, Erasmus looked downtrodden, while Robertson was on his feet.
The sparkling first half had relieved the tension in the press box, as the streak looked safe. That wasn’t the sentiment before kick-off. The Herald’s Liam Napier was confident but others were on the fence.
“They [the All Blacks] better turn up tonight,” said one veteran scribe. “They have to show something, for the next two years.”
But it was somehow reassuring to see Wayne Smith walking into the New Zealand coaches’ box before the game, like the feeling of a lost child finding his mum in a supermarket. Later, around 45 minutes before kick-off, I ran into Sky Sport’s Jeff McTainsh waiting for a lift in the bowels of the stadium. He looked ashen-faced and distracted, which made sense when he told me of his late, late call-up to commentate the match, with Tony Johnson ill.
“I’ve just got to keep it simple,” he said.
After an entertaining halftime – with an impressive Tom Cruise doppelganger found in the crowd on celebrity cam – things got more uncomfortable for the home support in the second half. Rieko Ioane had barely been involved but made the crucial play to save a try, after a New Zealand error off their own lineout. Focus. Savea made something out of nothing, after a wobbly pass, then bolts the scrum to win a penalty. Focus.
The Boks score – after dismantling the All Blacks scrum – but New Zealand immediately respond with Quinn Tupaea winning a penalty from the kickoff. The same player then showed a clear head to burst through, after Beauden Barrett engineered space. It always felt that time was against the visitors, though it took Savea’s magnificent 78th-minute turnover to seal the result.
“Big players step up like that,” said Christie, in awe of his No 7.
At the final whistle, Savea fell to the ground in exhaustion. There was nothing left. As Slice of Heaven rang out around the ground, he was helped to his feet, before the poignant 100th cap ceremony. The media are escorted downstairs, past celebrating New Zealand fans and disappointed South Africans.
Christie, eyes still blazing, evokes deep satisfaction, as the All Blacks end a four-game losing run against South Africa and defend the Eden Park record.
“It’s a massive effort,” he said. “Not only from the players out here but everyone behind the scenes, both management and players that don’t get time to take us.”
Tupaea has blood on his collar and his chin – describing it as a “badge of honour” after running into “big humans”.
Eraramus, who comes across as a stern but friendly secondary school teacher, made no excuses, admitting to some “terrible spells” and saying the staff would have to look at themselves.
“They were well prepared for our game, they were much better,” he said.
Robertson looked deeply content, with the fight, the resilience, the execution and the ability to absorb changes. He also couldn’t resist a trademark tangent, talking about the test week visit of Michael Jones.
“The Iceman – that’s ‘homme de glace’ in French,” he said, mysteriously.
TVNZ’s Andrew Saville asked Scott Barrett, “Are you buggered?”, a reference to the famed Peter Jones comment in 1956. That went over the head of most in the room – including Barrett – though Robertson’s smirk indicated he got it.
It was late. As this writer headed off, other journalists tapped out their follow-up stories, grateful when a New Zealand Rugby staffer returned with a few cold ones. “Some are low carb,” she warned.
On Sandringham Rd, groups of All Blacks and South African fans waited for taxis and Ubers. There was friendly banter, but the Kiwis had the last word.
“This is our house, bro,” said one. “Our house.”
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.