Auckland. Eden Park. Saturday. Another loss. The Springboks fell 24-17 to the All Blacks in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter. The scoreline told part of the story, but the truth lay in the details of a match where the Springboks were their own worst enemies. The All Blacks maintained their cherished 31-year, 51-match unbeaten record at their fortress. The Springboks’ long wait for a victory at Eden Park, stretching back to 1937, continues.

The Springboks played like strangers in the opening quarter. Two tries conceded in the first 17 minutes dug a 14-0 hole. Self-inflicted wounds, a consequence of dropped passes and a lineout that misfired like an old engine. The first All Blacks try, a cross-kick to Emoni Narawa, saw Springbok fullback Willie le Roux slip in cover defense, a costly lapse. The second came from another Springbok knock-on, a 50-22 kick, and a well-worked lineout move.

The All Blacks were ruthless. They took almost every chance that came their way, punishing Springbok mistakes. That’s how it works at this level. The Springboks, in contrast, were error-strewn. Beyond the early dropped passes, they suffered stolen lineouts and poor decision-making on attack. Handre Pollard, usually a reliable kicker, even skewed a penalty attempt, ending his flawless season streak. Grant Williams, at scrumhalf, was forced into panicked reactions under pressure. On attack, too many chances went unconverted.

The set piece was mixed. The scrum was dominant, firing, and brilliant, with Ox Nche superb in the first half and Wilco Louw immense in the second, earning crucial penalties. But the lineout was a dismal return, a major problem for the team, making a multitude of mistakes. Lock Ruan Nortje and the experienced Eben Etzebeth, integral to the lineout, both struggled. Individual performances among the starting forwards, including Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit, were described as sub-par or sluggish. Marco van Staden was one of the few standout forwards.

A comeback began with the introduction of the “Bomb Squad” from the bench. They made a tangible difference, sparking life into the team in the final 20 minutes. Prop Wilco Louw helped produce a monstrous scrum, from which Malcolm Marx powered over for the Springboks’ first try. Replacement scrumhalf Cobus Reinach was lively, scoring a try that narrowed the gap with seven minutes left. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sparked the stagnant backline. Lood de Jager brought a measure of calm to the misfiring lineout. Jan-Hendrik Wessels made a vital steal in his cameo.

But the fightback was insufficient. Kwagga Smith, while making an impact, received a yellow card for cynical play in the 64th minute. The All Blacks exploited the one-man advantage, scoring their third try through Quinn Tupaea, sealing the win.

Springbok captain Jesse Kriel, leading the team for the third time, rued the errors and their inability to convert chances. He admitted the performance was “not up to scratch”. The coach, Rassie Erasmus, had made only four changes to the starting lineup from their previous win against the Wallabies, sticking to tried and tested combinations. The decision to keep Kriel as captain despite Siya Kolisi’s return from a niggle was due to Kriel already being informed of the role and Jean-Luc du Preez’s injury at training.

Despite outscoring the All Blacks 17-10 in the last hour, the damage from the first 17 minutes was done. The Springboks were left with a bitter result, a painful defeat in Auckland. Eden Park remained a fortress. The hunt continues.

What’s Next for the Springboks and Rassie Erasmus?

The immediate aftermath of the Eden Park defeat leaves the Springboks with a clear objective: regroup and prepare for their next battle in Wellington. Springbok captain Jesse Kriel acknowledged the sub-par performance, the “too many handling errors and things that weren’t up to standard,” vowing that the team “will be back next week”. The focus will be on addressing the high error-rate that prevented them from building pressure and converting scoring chances, a task Kriel stated they would “look at and hopefully be better at next week”.

Rassie Erasmus, known for sticking to “tried and tested combinations,” now faces critical decisions. The team’s error strewn performance, particularly in the opening quarter with dropped passes and a misfiring lineout, highlights areas needing urgent attention. While the scrum was a dominant and brilliant asset, the lineout struggles were a major problem. Erasmus will likely evaluate selection conundrums for the upcoming match, considering positions like hooker, Number 8, flyhalf, wing, and fullback, and will likely take into account the expected playing conditions in his decision-making. There is a sentiment that the Springboks need to get back to the kind of rugby that showed glimpses of brilliance, marrying strong forward momentum and a good kicking game with effective aerial battles and set-piece dominance. The need for intelligence rugby intelligence to employ multiple strategies as the game evolves will be crucial.

External voices are already discussing the pressure on Erasmus (“Razer”) if losses continue, speculating about potential full review[s] or changes to assistant coaches. Regardless, the team’s slow start was too much of a handicap at Eden Park, and Erasmus’s challenge will be to ensure the Springboks return to a consistent, high-intensity performance level.