Bakkies Botha of South Africa walks to the sinbin. Photo / Getty Images
Watching that great test result last night, I was prompted to think of Dublin, 1991.
That was the World Cup semifinal when the All Blacks went out to Australia. At that time, we were heavily criticised for being over-confident and thinking we would just have to turn up and we'd
win.
Looking back, I guess that was right. We did come out with the wrong attitude and paid the price. So did the Boks last night - although you can't take anything away from a fantastic All Black performance.
I feel a bit justified because I spoke to a function in the South Island yesterday and I told the crowd there that I thought I'd seen some signs of that over-confidence in the Boks. I am not even sure what it was - but maybe I remembered Dublin in 1991 and how some of us didn't turn up that day.
I wouldn't write the Boks off. They were very unhappy with themselves, as you could see when John Smit was asked at the end of the game whether he'd been surprised by the All Black lineout. No, he said, I was disappointed with ours.
It was a day where everything went right for the All Blacks.
They attacked them hard and with meaning - and it was good to see that purpose and that physical approach, combined with their willingness to keep the ball in hand and run at the Boks.
There were so many players who had a good day - you almost couldn't pick one out above the others. If I was pushed, as an old front rower I might have to give man of the match to Keven Mealamu - what a great, physical, willing, unbending game he had.
But you could equally award that title to Mils Muliaina or Kieran Read or Tom Donnelly or Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu almost looked like he'd been playing for a full season, not for five minutes in club stuff.
The scrum was terrific - Owen Franks was all over Gurthro Steenkamp and Tony Woodcock's fire has stayed lit. Great stuff - but the Boks will come out steaming next week.
