The All Blacks finished the Greatest Rivalry Tour with a disappointing 43-28 defeat to the Springboks, losing the tour 3-1 having been ahead after the first test.
1 Ethan de Groot- 5
As throughout the series, the scrum has been an area of difficulty, and this game was no different. Several penalties against and dominance for the Springboks. Did make four carries and eight tackles in his 48-minute shift.
2 Codie Taylor- 7
Handed the captaincy for this game and left the field covered in blood, showing the commitment he put into the performance. Led the All Blacks for carries when he came off the pitch with nine and also made 11 carries in his 48 minutes. Scored the opening try for the All Blacks.
3 Fletcher Newell- 6
Had the same scrum difficulties as his front-two partner, but he did have more decisive carries with the ball in hand.
4 Patrick Tuipulotu- 7
A big physical performance from the lock but didn’t get to put his full dominance in the game. The lineout was put under a lot of pressure from the Springboks. He did make 10 tackles in the game and didn’t miss a single one.
5 Sam Darry- 6
The Springboks disrupted heavily at the lineout
6 Tupou Vaa’i- 7
Was the main lineout option for the All Blacks and also carried the ball well in the open with nine carries. His performance was a little loose and he gave away a silly penalty in the second half by holding onto a Springboks player after a ruck.
7 Ethan Blackadder- 9
An absolutely relentless performance, and for his reward, he scored the third All Blacks try, which was his first in a test match. He tackled absolutely everything that moved in front of him. Also carried the ball 11 times, only Lakai carried more for the All Blacks.
8 Peter Lakai- 8
Some brilliant work in the loose from the number eight, exemplified by a massive line break in the 60th minute. Led the All Blacks for carries during the game with 12 and made 65 metres.
9 Cam Roigard- 7
Controlled the pace of the game well for the All Blacks early on and looked to snipe around the edge of the ruck. He nearly had one of the most decisive moments in the game. He had stripped the ball off Pieter-Steph du Toit and kicked through, getting taken out. The All Blacks would have had a 5-metre penalty and seen the All Blacks down to 14 men. Roigard was judged to have been offside and the actions afterwards were disregarded.
10 Richie Mo’unga- 6
Couldn’t put his full stamp on the game but did help with some pacy distribution throughout the game, which allowed the All Blacks to get the ball wide.
11 Josh Moorby- 6
The biggest moment he was involved in throughout the game was the controversial decision where Moorby appeared to be tripped by Cameron Hanekom and Kurt-Lee Arendse ran the opposite way to score. Was consistently beaten to the high ball and only made 17 metres in the carry.
12 Jordie Barrett- 8
Great hands allowed Will Jordan to score the second All Blacks try and get back to 17-14 before halftime. As he has done all series, was an excellent distributor and tackled consistently well. His long boot is such an asset and was able to put a defensive clearance from a freeekick into the opposition half.
13 Anton Lienert-Brown- 6
Came off just before the end of the first half and wasn’t able to make a massive impression with the ball in hand. He made two carries, but was necessary defensively and completed five of his six tackles.
14 Will Jordan- 7
Scored the second All Blacks try just before the break to bring the scores back to 17-14. His fourth test try of the tour. Crucial steal as Ethan Hooker made a tremendous break in the 60th minute.
15 Damian McKenzie-8
Outstanding carry on the outside. Was moved into the first-five role during the second half to get his hands on the ball. He kicked aggressively for the corner and helped his team get back into the game before it slipped away. Made 73 metres from 11 carries during the game.
