Make that three on the bounce for the ABs, who were just unable to overcome their shortcomings compared with the Springboks’ strengths over the last three games.
Throw in some interesting officiating in Baltimore, and it was an uphill battle to try to draw the series.
All in all, there were plenty of learnings from this tour and this game in particular, which we will break down in this week’s stock report.
Front Six | Stock Down 📉
The front six, outside of Fletcher Newell, were just flat-out poor. I feel Ethan de Groot and Codie Taylor have been found out on this tour as not being up to the level, while the locks and Vaa’i were also outdone from a physicality standpoint from start to finish.
The scrum wasn’t good, and the same could be said for the maul defence. Both areas seem to be down to technical quality and will most certainly need to be worked on.
Loose Forwards | Stock Up 📈
I don’t count Tupou Vaa’i as a loose forward when he plays there, as he is more there to add size to the pack.
The two true loosies who started this one were Ethan Blackadder and Peter Lakai. As a combination, they were superb, leading the side in carries and both making a mountain of tackles throughout the game. They were dynamic with ball in hand, constantly bending the Springboks’ defence. From a long-term view, it seems like you have two of your future starters locked down in these two
Officiating | Stock Down 📉
Lastly, I just wanted to touch on the officiating. I have been pretty happy with it, all things considered, but it was an abomination on the weekend.
The late calls from the TMO were a real cause for concern when it came to the speed and watchability of the game, while the referee seemed to pluck some very ticky-tack calls against the ABs that continuously stunted their momentum.
Then came the major moment that put the game to bed. Due to poor decision-making, the officials missed the early tackle on Josh Moorby, which then became a 14-point score at the other end.
As mentioned, generally moaning about officiating isn’t the most effective way to be a fan, but Sunday was very poor.
