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Kieran Read's 'key' for All Blacks revenge over Springboks

By Ned Lester
Ardie Savea reacts to the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup final loss to the Springboks. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

A Rugby World Cup final rematch beckons at the altitude of Johannesburg’s infamous Ellis Park, and the All Blacks are coming into the contest with plenty to prove according to a team legend.

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The Springboks await in what will be the two nations’ first clash since the one-point thriller that crowned the South Africans back-to-back world champions in Paris last October. A lot has changed in the 10 months since.

The Kiwis are under new leadership and finding their feet in new structures and systems, and it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing under Scott Robertson’s new vision.

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Two scrappy wins over England and a loss to Argentina have left plenty of room for concern over how quickly the All Blacks can find their rhythm and just how high their ceiling is after a relatively poor run of results during the last World Cup cycle.

127-cap former All Black Kieran Read says with the little room for error there is against the world champs, New Zealand will need to be on top of their game.

“That’s a huge Test. The key that I’ve seen over these five Tests is we’ve probably only just got our mindset right,” the 38-year-old told The Breakdown. “It’s been a little bit up and down, probably trying to figure out a lot of things with the new coaches and new systems.

“But going into a big Test match, especially against South Africa over there, you just can’t be thinking of too much else other than being as physically dominant as you can.

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“So, essentially that’s what I think the leaders will be talking about, making sure they get a performance that showcases their physicality like what we saw last night.

“But 100 per cent they’re going to need that because what we’ve seen from the Boks so far this year against Ireland and those two Tests against the Wallabies, is that they’re not going away, they’re not shirking those traditional methods of coming hard at you in the physical battle.”

Read, who succeeded Richie McCaw as New Zealand captain in 2016, says while Robertson will be ready to set the tone for the Kiwis ahead of the first South Africa Test, it’s the leaders within the playing group who should take that responsibility and run with it.

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The All Blacks have also produced two big wins so far in 2024, beating Fiji by 42 points in San Diego and bouncing back to beat Los Pumas by 32 in round two of The Rugby Championship. While the latter offers the team some momentum heading into the South Africa Tests, Read says there’s still a long way to go for this team.

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“I don’t think they’ve played their best footy yet, it’s probably been a long way off. Last night they got it right for 40 minutes and it really came about through some simple things done right, like kicking game. The Argies were just slightly off and it shows that you’ve got to be right on every game.

“There’s no concern but I think what they’ll have to get right playing against South Africa is the way they defend. South Africa, yes they’re going to come at us through the maul, so our maul defence has got to be strong; it probably hasn’t been the strongest this year so far. And then, our ability to turnover ball, to defend across the park and stop their momentum, stop their gain line.

“That’s what the Argies did, they managed to get on top of us a few times, the English did that as well earlier in the year.”

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Comments

22 Comments
N
Ninjin 23 days ago

All that I hope for are two great test matches. No blowouts and no cards. Just two teams going at it and may the best team on the day win.

H
Hellhound 23 days ago

Same here. It's going to be awesome as it always is between the 2 powerhouses.

N
NE 23 days ago

A neutral team of officials would see a less than best NZ team destroy SA based on current form. Sadly for true rugby union supporters that isn't going to happen.

T
TO 23 days ago

You've gotta think Sth Africa are primed and ready, so should not only start favourites but should win the first match up. We'll find out alot about ourselves and will come out of the first game knowing if we have what it takes to win the second.

Whatever happens, we'll be alot better off for the rest of the season.

Go the ABs.

H
Hellhound 23 days ago

Yes, the Boks most likely is the favorites and that is not how it will be. Between these 2 teams it's always great games. There will be no blow outs and anything can happen. They go hard at it and then they party hard after the game. I hope for 2 wins for the Boks, but it most likely will be shared 1-1 between the 2. No one is running over any of these 2 teams. Always attracts the biggest and best crowds.

B
BP 23 days ago

We as South African's always worry about the AB's......and for some reason they never have a bad game against us.....

D
DS 23 days ago

Foster's ABs put 50 points on Argentina after losing in the previous encounter so no point getting gung-ho about everything being set.


SA are confident and at home but that is often when they are most vulnerable. Again, Foster won when no one predicted it and the axe was poised but that win, along with player support, helped Foster kept his job.


By contast, Robertson has received ongoing support from NZR, the rugby press and many social commentors. Expectations are high.

T
Toaster 23 days ago

Not backing Razor after that Puma shocker but he’s had five matches

Foster had four years with multiple losses

M
MattJH 23 days ago

I don’t feel like we are going to have any gauge on what this ABs side is capable of until after the 2nd bok test.

That Wellington performance was horrific, and Argentina didn’t offer any sort of resistance a week later although the All Blacks were still very, very good.

Boks are where it’s at. More importantly, Boks at Ellis park is the Mecca of rugby.

A win there is solid currency.

T
Terry24 23 days ago

I think Erasmus will use the Irish result in Durban to expunge complacency.

I noticed that the Boks themselves had an issue with fitness/altitude during the first Irish test after about 50 minutes. They just started kicking, and Ireland ran ni a couple of tries. Long phases of tiring attack by NZ might force SA to resort to a more conservative game if they are blowing hard.

Altitude and the new rules may suit the more aerobically fit team. Ireland played poorly but were fitter in Pretoria and should have stolen the game over it.

When NZ real focus on dismantling an opposition they are best in my opinion.

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N
NS 2 hours ago
All Blacks dared to put 'record on the line' in 'biggest game in 2025'

We need big bodies to match European and South African Team. NZ got them in heaps. The end of the year Northern Hemisphere tour is coming and it is the perfect time to realign and makes changes.

Firstly, a few pointers for Razor. BB and DMAc are not 1st Fives. As long as these two start all blacks will never win big games. Pick only one in the reserve for big games as cover for FB. Richie Moanga is ok and better than BB and DMAc at 1st five. If Richie is available BB and Dmac should never be picked.

Secondly, Rico has to go. Rico is the reason why all blacks did not win the world cup. It was lost in the quarter final when he sledged departing Irish player. Perhaps if he had performed a haka and bring him to tears rather than derail him in his last day, Rugby Gods will be smiling at AB. It is karma. Like Gregans "wait 4 more years" Sledge and Australia lost the final to England

On the other hand, you see the South African players will never ever do such acts and go down that low. They are very respectful and good people and they will keep winning. Rugby Gods will make South Africa win and they will keep winning unless Scott makes these changes

Thirdly, Don't let Sam Cane go. All Blacks have to keep him for big games. All Blacks Maul Defense is good because of him. Just keep him at test level and no other Rugby or very minimal club Rugby. Young loosies should hang around with Cane and learn about humility and respect

A message to BB, Dmac, Rico, Ardie Savea and TJ. Please make yourselves unavailable for 2 years. Ardie you are good but not a Back Row. You are too light.

That out of the way, now let’s select the team.

Front row sorted out by Jason Ryan. Won’t talk about it.

Locking sorted out with Tupou, Scott, Darry, Pat Tuipulotu and Josh Lord

Loosies. Do away with Ardie for a while. Go with Siti, Sotutu, Cane, Ethan, Jacobson, Papalii and Finau

Young stars like Satiti and Finau have to be grounded and train hard in the gym and bulk up for the next world cup. Sotutu has to work harder off the ball.

Half Backs: TJ out.  Cam Roigard [has to learn to scream and communicate game time], Ratima and Noah Hotham

Back Line:            1st Five: Harry Plummer [Inside center Cover]

                                2nd five: JB [Fullback and first five cover]

                                Outside Centre: Billy Proctor

                                Wings: Clarke and Will Jordon [Fullback Cover]

                                Fullback: Ruben Love [1st Five Cover], Zarn Sullivan

Wings: Shaun Stevson [Fullback Cover], Talaea and Narawa

Centre: Quinn Tupaea, Umaga Jenson Brothers - need big boys, ALB

Messaage to BB, DMac, Ardiae, Rico and  TJ. If you want All Backs to evolve and be world leaders again, please make yourselves unavailable for 2 years. Please just do it for your country. You will come back stronger in 2 years.

New Zealand team reminds me of NSW State of Origin. They always had the best players in their positions but never selected them in their position until Madge came and now NSW will be untouchable.

12 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
'Schmidt will not be forgiven or forgotten if Wallabies suffer Bled-bath'

After a promising beginning at the restarts led by young lock Jeremy Williams

Haha and your man Frost got out jumped by a prop at the restart! As Rassie referred to Ethan Blackadder as "PSdT like" after their game I think I'll take the player support prize here thank you Nick!


Yep, all Gordon had to do was pass immediately and the whole situation becomes a positive about the good carry forward on exists.


Classic vide that! Love the Irerish crowd boeing two clear backward passes, a great example of what was to come over the next decade from the Emerald Isle! Awesome old comms quality hand to the ear "what was that?"!! That last sequence reminds of of how well the All Blacks attacked this weekend. It might be as far back as this game was played the last time we saw the AB build that sort of pressure on their own back without relying on any sort of opportunity from the opposition.

Argentina head honcho Felipe Contempomi cut his teeth as an attack coach in Stuart Lancaster’s innovative system at Leinster

Ahhh! That explains the great depth and sideways rugby they are playing!! Hve to disagree on your diagnosis you have to attack it, I think thats why Stuar and Contepomi want you to do. Best idea is Schmidt do what he did with the All Blacks, which seems to what they're trying, if not still without at least a few steps up. In saying that though, again this Springbok attack, I felt the All Blacks should hve kept pressure that first or second receiver after the first two steps up they take. They seemed ripe for the pick by contrast to Los Pumas.


If you look at Reece's side of the field, that would be a great oppostunity for NZ to perform blitzes on, Barrett, Rieko, and a thundering Reece doing his Feyi-Waboso impersonation would be the best blitz backline in the world. Clarke on the other wing too if playing. I think Dlyan Pietsch has the attitude and tackling technique to try and pull it off?


In fairness, I feel what you are seeing as passivity on defence as actually coming from a lack of intensity in general from Australia. I was thinking about that during this game. It might be New Zealands great battle with the Springboks that has enabled them to develop it as a weapon, but I can't ever remember it as being one of the Wallabies. Those clashes always seem to been about pure tempo. The ABs flicked a switch in game two versus Argentina and kept their physicality up through both South African games. Perhaps that is the "Australian Way" piece that Schmidt is missing? 'Tempo' is a much hard switch to find, especially in the dark.

206 Go to comments
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