All Blacks v. Springboks is... wait, who's this a home game for?

[Spy]

Bloody good half from the All Blacks. 31-0, 4 tries.

[Spy]

Springbok lineout having a mare. Victor Matfield spinning in his bed. Streaker on.

[Spy]

Good d nz

[rowan]

Just when i was on a bit of a roll

Well, McKenzie certain to be tested this week. It's going to be a very interesting encounter, and I'm picking a close win to the All Blacks (to be duly avenged in Capetown) . . .

[Banquo]

Bloody good half from the All Blacks. 31-0, 4 tries.

pretty much a perfect ha;f from the halves. Ioane starring too. Poor lineout v great finishing..

[Spy]

Fair play, Boks still defending hard at 43-0 down.

[Spy]

Fark, 50-0.

[Spy]

Turnaround in the scrum fortunes.

[Spy]

Great performance by NZ. 4 tries in each half, and a clean sheet defensively. That's pretty special against the Springboks. FT 57-0. Amazing.

[Banquo]

Great performance by NZ. 4 tries in each half, and a clean sheet defensively. That's pretty special against the Springboks. FT 57-0. Amazing.

Indeed, 1st half was all about taking chances, the second a procession. The AB bench is strong, and ALB should be starting, sure he could do a better team job at 2nd 5/8th.

Great performance from Barrett too, maybe a couple of fingers up to critics.

[Spy]

Great performance by NZ. 4 tries in each half, and a clean sheet defensively. That's pretty special against the Springboks. FT 57-0. Amazing.

Indeed, 1st half was all about taking chances, the second a procession. The AB bench is strong, and ALB should be starting, sure he could do a better team job at 2nd 5/8th.

Great performance from Barrett too, maybe a couple of fingers up to critics.

Yes, SBW was anonymous tonight and hasn't had a great year. Normally an ALB/Crotty midfield has had Leniert-Brown at 13, but Crotty is really playing well at centre. Might be worth starting ALB at 12. Always like reading your assessments of a midfield.

[cashead]

Great performance by NZ. 4 tries in each half, and a clean sheet defensively. That's pretty special against the Springboks. FT 57-0. Amazing.

Equal highest score by any team (the All Blacks scored 57 against them last year as well), and biggest winning margin by any team against the Springboks (previously held by England, set in 2002).

[cashead]

Turnaround in the scrum fortunes.

Yeah, Tu'ungafasi really showed something tonight.

[Banquo]

Great performance by NZ. 4 tries in each half, and a clean sheet defensively. That's pretty special against the Springboks. FT 57-0. Amazing.

Indeed, 1st half was all about taking chances, the second a procession. The AB bench is strong, and ALB should be starting, sure he could do a better team job at 2nd 5/8th.

Great performance from Barrett too, maybe a couple of fingers up to critics.

Yes, SBW was anonymous tonight and hasn't had a great year. Normally an ALB/Crotty midfield has had Leniert-Brown at 13, but Crotty is really playing well at centre. Might be worth starting ALB at 12. Always like reading your assessments of a midfield.

Cheers, its where I played, so pay more attention, I guess . ALB just looks like a natural 2nd 5/8th to me, always straightens the line up (as does Crotty- underrated imo, not Conrad Smith, but who is. Does most things well and right, and is quicker than he looks).

Glad the AB's didn't have their finishing shoes on when the Lions played them.

[zer0]

Was a decent effort.

[canta_brian]

Was a decent effort.

Adequate

[cashead]

Cromulent, even.

[morepork]

Conflation.

[Spy]

Turnaround in the scrum fortunes.

Yeah, Tu'ungafasi really showed something tonight.

I watched the game again today, with particular attention to the scrums. My half-formed thesis was that things really turned around when Crockett came on. That wasn't exactly the case, really.

There were 12 scrums in the game, 6 in each half. The first 3 were dominated by South Africa, winning a penalty, a free kick, and a dominant win of their own ball. The next 3 scrums were even, with NZ winning a penalty in the final scrum of the half.

The second half saw Hames go off before a scrum was set. The first 3 scrums of the half were even, but NZ coming out ahead with a penalty won by Crockett. The final 3 scrums of the game all resulted in NZ penalties, with the final scrum verging on a NZ tight head win as well as a penalty.

So the first quarter of the scrum contest clearly went to South Africa, the final quarter clearly to the All Blacks, and the middle sections pretty even, with NZ probably shading it.

Hames didn't do his case for another start much good, conceding a scrum penalty, a scrum free kick, a breakdown penalty, and dropping a good attacking ball pass. He was, to be fair, part of a scrum that did improve markedly after a shaky start. Crockett had a great scrummaging game, winning 2 penalties, and part of a scrum that took charge later in the game.

Tu"ungafasi was on for the final 4 scrums, which all went well for NZ. He did have a very busy game in open play as well. Best game he's had for NZ, I think.