The Springboks may have emerged from Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with a 3-1 series victory over the All Blacks, but the four-Test series also highlighted a few areas Rassie Erasmus and his coaching staff will want to address going forward.
They produced some brilliant rugby across the tour, showcasing their power, physicality and ability to adapt as circumstances demanded. However, there were also moments when they made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
Here, we look at a few areas the Boks will want to improve on over the next Tests.
Finishing and decision-making
While this improved as the series went along, one can’t help but wonder how big the margin in Baltimore could have been if the Boks had converted more of the chances they created.
There were some brilliant attacking plays, from the backs and forwards alike, but over the course of the series, the world champions failed to pounce on a number of opportunities. The Boks were often able to get themselves into promising positions, only to come away with nothing or settle for three points when a try was there for the taking.
And then there was the case of some over-eagerness.
At times, particularly when they had momentum, the Boks appeared guilty of trying to force the issue rather than allowing their pressure to tell. It is a fine line between playing with intent and overplaying, and that will be another area Erasmus will want his side to manage better as they move on from a memorable series.
Line-outs
The missed line-outs, especially when Malcolm Marx was not on the field, will be a slight concern.
The Boks launched brilliant mauls from accurate lineout throws off Marx, but lost quite a few on their own throw throughout the series. With the lineout and resultant rolling mauls such a crucial part of the Bok blueprint, particularly when they are within striking range of the try line, any inconsistency in this area can have a massive impact.
Opportunities against the All Blacks were few and far between from the sidelines, and when they lost possession from the lineout via an overthrow or miscommunication, it blunted their attack. That is why Marx was pushed for as long in the four Tests to ensure efficient lineouts.
But going forward, they must look to find their jumpers with the backup hookers if Marx is not there to do so.
Wide defence
There were some pretty glaring lapses in defence, especially at Ellis Park, when looking at the way the All Blacks exploited space around the edges of the Bok defensive line.
The Boks were excellent in the collisions and generally made life extremely difficult for the All Blacks in the middle of the park, but there were occasions when New Zealand managed to find space on the edges.
That is something the coaching staff will no doubt look closely at, particularly with the Boks looking to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. They have built their reputation on suffocating defence and relentless line speed to shut an attack down in the midfield.
So allowing opponents to get around that defensive wall will be something they will want to iron out. | IOL Sport