I found today's game between the All blacks and South Africa very entertaining and didn't really care who won as long as it was a good match. I am more of a neutral fan than a supporter of any one particular team. Maybe that is the referee coming out in me, but it is how I am. these days.
The result could have been way different if the South African's had used their 30 minutes of dominance in the first half. I think that was the most disappointing thing that they can come away with as a positive. When you are thumping your opponents upfront you have to score points and they only scored 3 points in the first half. If you visit your opponents 22 yard area you have to score something as territory is everything.
The All Blacks on the other hand hung in and were brilliant on defence and with some desperation clearances managed to keep the South African team to just 3 points. The Springboks though were clumsy at times and weren't clinical enough in their execution. The All Blacks pounced on the errors and made the Springboks pay with two tries. This was frustrating to watch as they were amateurish in how they allowed the All Blacks into the game. They honestly weren't in the game accept for about 5 minutes where they scored twice. Half time was 17-3 and nearly home if it was a proper All Black team. They were grinning as they came away with that half by the skin of their teeth. The score could quite easily have read 17-3 to South Africa and they would have deserved it.
Very few sides can come back from a large deficit and South Africa had to score first or the gap would have been too big to climb. They played much like they did for the first 30 minutes in the first half and clawed back 10 points to narrow it to a 4 point margin. The only thing I think they could have done differently was the impact players should have been on in the 55 th minute and no later.
17-3 had become 17-13 and with some cool heads and clear thinking they could have scored on one or two more occasions. Instead the All Blacks kicked two goals to finish the scoring at 23-13. I have never seen an All Black side live off scraps like they did today and if South Africa play them again I honestly believe it will be totally different and see them winning by a big margin. The All Blacks can't play any more physical than what they did today and it wasn't enough for large periods of the game. I don't think the All Blacks are what they once were and cannot see them winning this World Cup.
