Pace, poise, panache: The
OPINION: Steve Hansen’s new back three were forked lightning, scorching the earth and sending the Springboks up in flames.
Every time South africa made a mistake, and they made plenty, they were burned. The one thing that every team in the world finds hard to defend against is pace and this is one of the fastest All Blacks sides in history.
Before the game Hansen was asked how his team would cope if the Boks came with a rush defence. He smiled with a certain self deprecation and said: ‘‘They’ll have to deal with ours as well. We’re not the only ones who struggle with it.’’
No truer word was spoken. South Africa had no idea how to cope with New Zealand’s line speed in defence. When they coughed up possession, the Boks then lacked the nous and the all round speed to scramble back.
The first try came when South Africa turned over the ball and a penalty. Quick as a flash, and he had a pretty flash night, Aaron Smith lobbed a left foot kick in behind. Smith didn’t even have to be that accurate. Rieko Ioane was the man who scored close to the touchline, but if Smith’s kick had strayed infield a bit, then Damian McKenzie would have got to it.
Hansen did get one thing wrong when he predicted: ‘‘I’m sure they’ll want to kick a bit of ball in the air with the small back three we’ve got, but I’m confident they’ll take the high ball and give us opportunities to counter and cause a bit of trouble.’’
In fact McKenzie and Nehe Milner-Skudder each bombed a high kick early on. That remains a worry when the All Blacks come up against better teams. A week ago McKenzie made some of his own problems by trying to field kicks too far up the pitch, but he won’t be proud of the one he grassed against South Africa.
But strangely this back three don’t seem to be bothered by the