OomStruisbaai wrote: Wed Aug 30, 2023 8:28 am
LoveOfTheGame wrote: Wed Aug 30, 2023 6:45 am
Gumboot wrote: Wed Aug 30, 2023 5:45 am
Huh? Strange comment. The ABs came back from 17-3 down at halftime to beat the Wallabies 23-20 in Dunedin. The Boks lost 35-20 in Auckland after trailing 20-3 at halftime. I'm a bit confused. Are you excusing the Saffer lack of "character" simply because that terrible performance was in NZ?
I think what oom is trying to say is that Boks also show character to come back after being utterly outplayed by the AB's in the first 20-30 min of that test match. They still lost the match handsomely.
All Blacks led 17-0 after 16 mins and 20-3 at HT. 23-15 after 68 minutes.
The All Blacks never fought back.
Had that try stood before half time (and technically it should have) then it was a 7 point ball game... momentum shift... Scott Barrett doesn't see red... who knows what might have happened?
But that was the start of a fightback that was sunk by a disallowed try and a red card... second half I think they did give up as Whitelock was subbed early and they went for injury limitation instead...
SA were very, very good, but there were a number of reasons why NZ didn't play as well as they can apart from SA being good... NZ have come back against SA before... it's not unknown.
If they are as poor again against France, then you do fear for Foster's safety...