Rugby: Bok supremacy a real prospect

Senior All Blacks Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina say South African rugby is the strongest they have seen it. Photo / Getty Images

DURBAN - The prospect of South Africa dominating rugby's landscape in coming years is a disturbing but real one in the eyes of the All Blacks.

Captain Richie McCaw and his team were to arrive home tonight and will have plenty of time to mull over their twin loss to the Springboks as their next Tri-Nations fixture isn't until August 22, against Australia in Sydney.

It would not surprise if sleep on the flight was unsettled. Sore bodies and mental images of a relentless green wave forcing mistake after mistake isn't the ideal combination for a long haul kip.

The two most experienced All Blacks - fullback Mils Muliaina and flanker Richie McCaw - both say South African rugby is at the strongest ebb they have seen.

For Muliaina, the 28-19 loss at Bloemfontein a week ago and the 31-19 drubbing at Durban on Sunday morning (NZT) represent a continuation of the Bulls' 61-17 annihilation of his Chiefs side in the Super 14 final two months ago.

"There's no doubt they're starting to get a little bit of dominance here now," Muliaina said.

"They're a team with a lot of experience and the way they played in the Lions series (won 2-1), and certainly now, they're right up there on the top of their game ... we've got to get better if we're going to compete against these guys."

Muliaina is part of an attack that has scored just one try in each of New Zealand's three Tri-Nations tests.

It is as sobering as their soaring mistake rate, something that Muliaina said came down to poor option-taking in the face of pressure.

"There were times when we just made the wrong decisions. It was probably on to kick and we ran it and if it was on to run it, we kicked it," said the fullback, whose 75th test at Sydney will make him the All Blacks' most capped outside back.

"We've just got to regroup now, go back home and take a long think about what we're going to do."

Doing the same thing will be McCaw, who has shared the captaincy with Muliaina through what has been a scratchy 2009 season.

McCaw was back near his inspirational best at Durban although was still edged at the breakdown by star Springboks openside discovery Heinrich Brussow.

"They have experienced players and they play with a lot of composure," McCaw said.

"They've got a plan for how they're going to play and they do it very well."

McCaw agreed the diminutive Brussow had been a huge addition to the Springboks' pack, but there was more to their improved breakdown work.

"If you look at all the times we had the ball, we very rarely got across the advantage line," he said.

"When they were tackling us, it pushed us back a couple of metres rather than the other way round.

"That allowed guys like Brussow to have a good day."

Winning the physical battle was what pleased Springboks captain John Smit most.

The status between the two teams has changed so much - the All Blacks have been firm favourites for these matches in recent years - that Smit had been worried about mental laziness going into the rematch.

"We came up with a little bit more intensity," he said.

"We could very well have fallen into the trap of expecting it to happen, which is probably the biggest trap there is out there for us at the moment."

While Smit is the most experienced member of a battle-hardened side, it will be encouraging that their two best players at Durban were the two newest in the team - Brussow and 31-point first five-eighth metronome Morne Steyn.

The Springboks play their third test in successive weekends against Australia in Cape Town before the second half of their Tri-Nations campaign is away from home - featuring tests at Perth, Brisbane and Hamilton.

- NZPA