Hansen, McKenzie criticise rusty Springboks after 33-16 loss

Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie have criticised South Africa’s lack of sharpness and cohesion after the Springboks lost 33-16 to New Zealand at Ellis Park last Saturday. The defeat leaves the All Blacks 1-0 ahead in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series before the second Test in Cape Town on Saturday.

Hansen, the former All Blacks coach, said South Africa’s limited recent match activity made them vulnerable in the opening Test. He linked that lack of preparation to the errors made when the Springboks came under pressure close to their own try line.

The All Blacks were able to force turnovers in that area, including an important contest involving Malcolm Marx near the goal line. Hansen viewed the incident as an example of New Zealand’s discipline and Jordie Barrett’s defensive work, while South Africa struggled to execute accurately under pressure.

McKenzie, formerly in charge of Australia, questioned whether New Zealand’s ball-stripping success came from a carefully identified tactic. He instead felt the All Blacks consistently competed for possession and prevented South Africa from building momentum or putting together long sequences, particularly during the first half.

He also pointed to problems around the halfback connection, the lineout and the transition after set-piece possession. In McKenzie’s assessment, those issues showed that the Springboks were not operating as a settled unit. South Africa had used a different team from the one that faced Argentina three weeks earlier, adding to the lack of continuity.

The second Test will therefore be South Africa’s chance to respond to a 1-0 series deficit. Hansen and McKenzie both indicated that improved cohesion will be central to any attempt to level the series, after New Zealand exposed errors and disjointed attacking phases in Johannesburg.