ALL BLACKS: ARDIE SAVEA PINPOINTS KEY AREAS WHICH PROVED COSTLY IN ‘ULTIMATE TEST’ AGAINST SPRINGBOKS

All Blacks number eight Ardie Savea has highlighted which areas led to their downfall in their recent Rugby Championship encounters against the Springboks in South Africa.

The men in black suffered a 31-27 defeat against the Boks in Johannesburg last weekend before being on the wrong end of an 18-12 result when the teams met in Cape Town on Saturday.

Those results mean South Africa have won all four of their Rugby Championship fixtures in this year’s tournament and they are sitting pretty at the top of the table with 18 points amassed.

Argentina have moved up to second position – after thrashing Australia in Sante Fe on Saturday – a whopping eight points adrift of the Boks, while New Zealand are third and the Wallabies fourth with seven and four points respectively in the standings.

Bitterly disappointed

Savea admitted that their latest defeat to the Boks – which is their fourth successive loss to their arch rivals – was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Yeah, disappointed,” he said when asked what the feeling was like in the All Blacks changing room after the clash in Cape Town. “The boys are gutted. I feel for the boys.

“We gave ourselves opportunities to close that out and finish it, but we didn’t. It’s a testament to the Springboks and what they’re doing. So, yeah, the boys are really gutted and disappointed.”

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The current World Rugby Player of the Year pinpointed why the All Blacks were not taking their opportunities by saying: “Probably individual skill set. Even on my behalf as well as a leader. It starts with us.

“You know, we’ve got to find a few things. Individual skill set, discipline. We’re getting in the right areas of the field, and we’re just giving the Springboks penalties or we’re losing the ball.

“And they’re getting down to our (part of the) field and punishing us. “We’ve got to try and lessen those and stop those. But, again, it’s easier said than done.

“I know we can talk about it, but we’ve got to get out on the field, as players, and action it.”

Rugby’s greatest rivalry

Over the past two weeks, the matches between the Springboks and All Blacks received plenty of hype and it’s viewed as rugby’s greatest rivalry which Savea agreed with.

Although his team suffered back-to-back losses against their old foes, Savea said he enjoyed his time in South Africa.

“It’s been amazing being in South Africa,” he added. “The people of South Africa have been welcoming. They’ve been outside our hotels. They’re making us feel like we’re home and when we come and play, the atmosphere is crazy.

“We love playing here. It’s the ultimate Test match. As footy players, you get tested to the utmost.”

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2024-09-08T10:32:35Z dg43tfdfdgfd