Aisle be Back: All Blacks v South Africa 2.0

• By Kevin McCarthy

You ever watch games of rugby where the heart literally starts beating faster?’

Until last weekend, it had last happened twice last year – during the closing moments of the Ireland quarter and of course the final itself.

I got a taste of it again in the Ellis Park game – but heavily overlaid with that feeling where you just know this isn’t going to end with what you hope.

That’s why Springbok v All Blacks matches are the gold standard for the two countries. Most of the time they’re close. There’s no end of controversy, and, to put it bluntly, I really hate it when the All Blacks lose to the Boks.

Strangely, on Sunday, that was both made worse – and tempered – by the fact the All Blacks were bossing that match till the 62^nd minute.  Remember that this side was going into the game as the underdog – probably in retrospect something that was overegged.

Instead, the Boks found that this was quite different to playing and bullying the Wallabies.

For that to slip away then was excruciating – undone by the damned bomb squad yet again. Wins at Ellis Park are to be cherished, and that one got away – and pretty much sewed up the Rugby Championship for the Boks – though, really, who is worrying about that.

With both squads ringing the changes, there’s been a lot of entrail reading. Yet given most of the changes are due to injuries, it’s a little premature to read too much too early.

TJ is back on the bench, as is Beaudy – and Will Jordan is finally playing at his preferred fullback position.

Yes, Wallace Sititi is getting his huge first opportunity – no soft introduction against a tier two country.  Shades of Ian Jones.  Cortez Ratima is in the same category.

Thankfully the All Blacks didn’t decide to ape the Boks and go 6-2 on the bench, which would have been interesting given the South Africans are going 5-3.

You can play with whatever permutations you like, but the All Blacks lacked the composure to close out the test, rather than any single player being a silver bullet.

Playing these two tests back to back sure is a grand appetiser for what appears to be coming, like a miracle in the parched desert – the return of long form tours between the two countries.

My first memories of the Boks were from 1976 when the games were televised in colour. All hard scorched grounds and dodgy refs. The tour seemed to last 30 games.

Of course, we’re not going back to that, but 3 or four tests and a few provincial matches will just be fantastic.

TRC ROUND #4
The tournament is at the halfway mark… can the All Black halt the Springboks unbeaten run? Can the Wallabies go back to back in Argentina?https://t.co/ZovQ7B5xPO#TRC2024#wallabies#LosPumas#AllBlacks7s#springboks pic.twitter.com/m7iaOG7WRF

— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) September 4, 2024

Team for game two 🫡

Saturday 5pm SAST
Sunday 3am NZT

*Ethan Blackadder & Caleb Clarke are unavailable due to injury.#AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/2vlyF7MMgC

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 5, 2024

+++++

Don’t count your chickens, but the Lions could close in on top spot in the NPC table if they can score a BP win against Southland.

Current leader, Hawke’s Bay, are up against Tasman by comparison, so a loss there is not inconceivable.

And there, near the bottom, sits Auckland while Canterbury also languish.