New Zealand player ratings versus South Africa

A last-gasp converted try to replacement half-back Herschel Jantjies earned the Springboks a deserved draw against the All Blacks.

It wasn’t an easy day at the office for the All Blacks – especially with a number of players making their first international appearance of the year.

How did the All Blacks rate? Find out below…

1. Joe Moody – 4/10

First match for the All Blacks since October – and it showed. Scrum looked sturdy with him on the field but his hands let him down on more than one occasion. Not especially busy on defence, making just four tackles. Looked to be short of gas near the end of his spell.

2. Codie Taylor – 7

Looked dynamic. Hit every tackle with aggression, which is especially impressive when you’re the All Blacks second top tackler with 12. Didn’t stand out as much as he normally does in the loose, but can’t fault his set piece work.

3. Owen Franks – 5

Strong in the tight stuff but lacking in any other facets of the game. Franks did his core duties well – but that’s about it. Made 7 tackles, which isn’t bad for a prop.

4. Brodie Retallick – 5

Put in one monster hit in the build-up to Jack Goodhue’s try. Also excellent in the lineouts. A very quiet game otherwise, making just 2 tackles (which is probably a record low for the big lock). Looks set to miss a significant amount of game time in the near future due to a dislocated shoulder and could be out for the season.

5. Sam Whitelock – 6

Industrious in his core duties. It wasn’t really a game for the tight five, though.

6. Shannon Frizell – 6

Tidy enough. Fairly busy on defence. Didn’t cement his spot in the squad, but looks the better option between him and Vaea Fifita right now.

No count back on boundaries in Wellington. It's a draw. Thanks for an epic Test @Springboks.#NZLvRSA #BACKBLACK ???? pic.twitter.com/iJKkskeELf

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) July 27, 2019

7. Matt Todd – 8

One of the All Blacks’ best. Always does his job and tonight was no exception. Made a game-high 18 tackles and dug his head into every breakdown he found.

8. Kieran Read – 6

Looks to be missing the spark of old. Maybe regular game time will fix that, however. He’s a safe player, he’ll always make his tackles, but All Blacks need a dynamo at the back of the scrum.

9. TJ Perenara – 6.5

Excellent over the ball – one of the best defensive halfbacks in the world. Still, the core job of a 9 is passing and Perenara can’t match Aaron Smith in that regard. Intensity and pace of the game picked up considerably with Smith’s injection.

10. Richie Mo’unga – 6

Early jitters with two kicks charged down, but late-game goal-kicking made up for it. Nervous first start against top-level opposition. Probably needs more time in the saddle. Is it too late to get him ready for the World Cup?

The blow by blow RugbyPass account of events in Wellington between New Zealand and South Africa.
https://t.co/QMdxdIQpS3

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 27, 2019

11. Rieko Ioane – 3

Worst performance in an All Blacks jersey to date. Was well contained by opposite Cheslin Kolbe and on the few times he found space his hands let him down. Needs as many games under his belt before the World Cup to get him back to top form.

12. Sonny Bill Williams – 7

Did what was asked of him. Made 8 tackles, the most of any All Blacks back. Was quiet on attack but threw a few nice passes – including the one that created Barrett’s linebreak which led to New Zealand’s try. Was a bit loose in the carry sometimes but a good performance given how much time he’s had away from the game.

13. Jack Goodhue – 6.5

Very tidy game. Showed good pace for his try and even won a penalty at the breakdown. Looks much more experienced than he actually is.

14. Ben Smith – 7

Covered well on defence and was smart with the ball hand – just not particularly dangerous. Has perhaps lost a little bit of pace – but could chalk that up to injury earlier in the year.

15. Beauden Barrett – 7

Fullback is very much his natural position. Looks excellent with the extra space and slotted into first receiver when necessary to take some heat off Mo’unga. Goal kicking once again let him down, however.

Reserves:

16. Dane Coles – 7

Looked sprightly in his time on the field. Added excellent impetus off the bench. Who knows who the selectors consider being their best hooker right now?

17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi – 6

Busy around the park but scrum certainly dropped in intensity upon his injection. Still doesn’t quite look comfortable at this level.

18. Angus Ta’avao – 7

Nice impact, looked good in open play. Surely the fittest of the All Blacks’ props? Scrummaging may be a concern, however.

19. Vaea Fifita – 5

Wasn’t able to make much of an impact on the attack and didn’t really get stuck into defending. Covered lock but probably isn’t strong enough in the scrum to fit in there in a tight game.

20. Dalton Papalii – N/A

No time to make an impact. Doesn’t bode well for chances of avoiding the cull.

21. Aaron Smith – 7

Game kicked up a notch when he was introduced. Perhaps a few of the snappier teams may trouble Smith around the fringes, but he’s so very good at unlocking the All Blacks’ attack.

22. Anton Lienert-Brown – 7

Side-stepping always keeps the opposition guessing. Always looking to create. Could ALB be the key to unlocking some of the tighter defences in world rugby?

23. George Bridge – 5.5

Didn’t have a lot of time – or space – to make an impact, but did well with the hand he was dealt. Will be looking for a start against Australia in the coming weeks.

WATCH: The insightful RugbyPass documentary with Nemani Nadolo, the Fijian playing at Montpellier