How to play a 50 minute half of rugby

Jan Serfontein of South Africa tackled by Kieran Read

The Springboks and All Blacks should be paid a bit of overtime this week after playing a first half this morning that lasted 50 minutes.

The opening stanza of the All Blacks' 25-24 victory just didn't seem to end as both teams refused to kick for touch once the first half passed the 40 minute mark.

The Springboks did attempt to end the half in the 42nd minute when Andries Coetzee launched a kick towards the sideline and started to walk towards the sheds. However Damian McKenzie kept the ball in play which resulted in 14 All Blacks phases.

Both teams had opportunities to kick out when rewarded penalties and decided to take the lineout option and continue playing.

All Blacks winger Nehe Milner-Skudder probably wished the half did end on time as he suffered shoulder injury in the seventh extra minute of play.

It meant the All Blacks went into halftime with two starters off the field, after Beauden Barrett left the test due to a head knock. More reserves were used very early into the second half with an entirely new front row emerging from the sidelines in the 46th minute and Matt Todd called on to replace Sam Cane a minute later.

"It completely changed the picture didn't it?" All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said after the test.

"We started the second half at the 50-minute. We weren't going the muck around we were going to out the subs on reasonably quickly, and that's what we did.

Hansen was clear it didn't want to see another 50-minute half.

"I'd say if affected the tackle count as well because we made a hell of a lot of them. I'm not sure why we didn't kick it out. We'll talk about that another day."

All Blacks skipper Kieran Read said the egos got in the way of both sides at the end of the first half.

"The Boks showed their intent and our egos probably got in the way of what was perhaps a smart decision. Our guys wanted to get it back to them and hold onto the ball. It's test match footy and it turned into a bit of a spectacle.

"As Steve said I think we really made ourselves work a bit harder than perhaps we should have. To not concede in that period I think maybe kept us in the contest."