Redelinghuys says scrum call hurt Springboks in 33-16 first Test

South Africa lost 33-16 to New Zealand in the opening Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park. Former Springbok prop Julian Redelinghuys has questioned whether the pressure of the moment cost the hosts when they had the All Blacks trapped near their own line.

The Springboks were 17 points behind midway through the second half when their scrum began to give them a route back into the contest. South Africa won three penalties from successive scrums, each awarded with New Zealand defending 5m from its own tryline.

With the All Blacks pinned deep, South Africa chose to set up another scrum rather than move away from the set-piece. The decision reflected the advantage the home side had established in that area, with the crowd calling for the same option as the Boks looked to maintain the pressure.

The sequence then lost its momentum. Eben Etzebeth needed to change his boots before the scrum could take place, creating a delay while New Zealand remained inside its 22. Redelinghuys, who is also a Lions assistant coach, identified that pause as a key moment in his assessment of the defeat.

When play resumed, the penalty went against South Africa instead. New Zealand escaped from its own 22, gained territory and took back control of the match. The change was especially costly because it followed three consecutive South African scrum penalties in the same area of the field.

Redelinghuys’s analysis centres on the contrast between South Africa’s dominance at the scrum and the outcome of the next set piece. The Springboks had been in position to convert that pressure into points, but the delay and subsequent penalty allowed New Zealand to move away from danger. The 33-16 result left the visitors with victory in the first Test of the series.