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Auckland - The facts speak for themselves as the All Blacks sent the Springboks crashing to a 32-12 defeat at Eden Park, with the home side enjoying 66% of possession and the visitors missing nearly one-fifth of the tackles they were forced to make.
The All Blacks delivered a crushing lesson in focused physicality and slick ball-movement, but it was those missed tackles that will especially hurt a Springbok side that prides itself on defence.
Fullback Zane Kirchner had an impeccable game under the high ball and kicked accurately too, but he was less than pleased after his first test against the All Blacks ended with him on the losing side.
"First-time tackles are vital and I missed about three myself so I definitely need to step up," Kirchner said. The South Africans made 128 tackles but missed 30, while New Zealand made 83 tackles and missed just nine.
But the 26-year-old acknowledged that it was also the pace and accuracy of the All Blacks that brought the Springboks to their knees.
"They killed us with quick ball and they had the right field position. They had us on the back foot throughout," Kirchner said.
The Springboks were also on the receiving end of some dazzling counter-attacking runs by Kirchner's opposite number, Mils Muliaina, who ran 214 metres in all and set up the All Blacks' opening try by centre Conrad Smith.
"Mils is a quality player and a first-class number 15. He's someone I really look up to," Kirchner acknowledged.
"But as a team, we just didn't pitch up. If your body is there, then your mind must be there as well. We just didn't stand up quickly enough and we need to work harder."
Wynand Olivier was brought into the side at inside centre, breaking up the hugely successful partnership of Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie, and just could not impose himself on the game.
"We were on the back foot mostly and that meant there wasn't really the opportunity to carry the ball much. I think we had just one backline move from a set-piece," Olivier said.
The Bulls star also said there had been some miscommunication in defence, with All Black prop Tony Woodcock's last-minute try delivering a crucial four-try bonus point to the Kiwis.
"The execution of our defence was not very good, our lines weren't right. That's because our mindset wasn't right, the mental side was the biggest problem. Our game plan was the correct one and we just need to turn things round next weekend," Olivier said.
