Unpopular opinion: Springboks’ latest loss was also a WIN

As quickly as Springboks fans celebrated the season-opening win over the Wallabies, just as many then went into full panic mode after the All Blacks cruised to a victory in Auckland this past weekend.

It was a woeful start to the match in New Zealand for the Springboks, and it’s probably cost them any chance of winning the Rugby Championship, but an unpopular opinion is that the result could also be seen as a win in many ways.

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THE ‘WINS’ FOR THE SPRINGBOKS

Lessons learned

The All Blacks perfectly executed a clear strategy to test the Springboks under the high ball, and while the South African team dealt with it terribly, they have now seen what threat could be posed at the World Cup and will have identified an area of their game that is relatively easy to fix.

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Cards close to their chest

There was a definite sense that the Springboks were employing some cunning tactics on Saturday, with their decision to not contest any lineouts certainly standing out. Perhaps it was a failed experiment, or perhaps it was a ploy to see what sort of set plays the All Blacks might offer as these two teams potentially prepare to go head to head in the World Cup quarter-finals.

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Personnel clarity

The first two Rugby Championship games have offered some meaningful insight into certain players and positions, with Kurt-Lee Arendse clearly edging ahead in the battle for the No 11 jersey, while the ‘experiments’ of playing Damian Willemse at 10 and Franco Mostert at blindside flank will surely be put aside for now. On the bright side, the cameo performances from someone like Grant Williams has given them another top option to consider for the World Cup.

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Moments of dominance

During the early parts of the second half against the All Blacks, the Springboks achieved clear dominance as the likes of Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Manie Libbok were deployed off the bench. Once they began to disrupt the breakdowns and counter ruck, the All Blacks battled to find any foothold without quick ball. It was a big lesson about what the Boks do have in reserve.

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Valuable game-time

At the start of this Test season, the Springboks have deployed a clear plan to split their squad, balancing game-time management with the ambitions of winning. Ultimately, a loss to the All Blacks will pale into insignificance if the Boks succeed with their plan of ensuring they peak at the right time at the World Cup with a squad of players who have been exposed to Test match game-time at just the right time in the build-up to the global showpiece.

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