“The Springboks are, of course, another proposition altogether. They have also had the luxury of sitting back, watching and analysing how the All Blacks are likely to approach the test series.
“Forewarned is forearmed.”
‘A ruthless kind of efficiency’
Clinton van der Berg, SA Rugby Mag
“The Bulls fell straight into the trap of trying to play a high-pace game against the masters of it, and paid the price.
“Rieko Ioane was a menace all night, running hard and running straight, punishing every half-chance the Bulls left him. Captain Codie Taylor weighed in too, and set the tone for a big, composed performance. A bunch of others also mucked in, all looking to stake a test claim.
“What sets this All Blacks side apart is their ability to correct errors in flight. Drop the ball? No problem. Realign, reset, come again. It’s a ruthless kind of efficiency, the mark of a team that trusts its systems even under pressure.
“Their scrum was a weapon too, even against a Bulls pack that prides itself on power. After a nervy opening, the All Blacks repelled everything the Bulls threw at them up front, standing toe to toe with a side built to dominate that exact battle.”
‘The All Blacks answered’
David Isaacson, Times Live
“The way the Kiwi backline threw the ball around with purpose, they could do some damage against the Green-and-Gold if they could minimise the errors, which were understandably plentiful in this open contest.
“The crucial takeaways, perhaps, were how the All Blacks responded to pressure moments early in the match.
“Each time the Bulls asked questions, the All Blacks answered.”
All Blacks winger Josh Moorby makes a break in the match against the Bulls. Photo / Photosport
‘Earn the right’
Louis Chapman Coome, Planet Rugby
“It was almost rugby’s equivalent of tiki-taka football. Offloads, either in and around the tackle or those basketball-esque, were littered across their game, all done with the aim of shifting the point of contact. Pull-backs from the tip of the forward pod out to a playmaker were also a major part of this plan, again just changing the position of attack to create just a bit more space. That then got the likes of Josh Moorby, Leroy Carter, Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett, the key game-changers, playing in pockets of broken field where they could just cause havoc for the Bulls defence.
“There’s a saying in rugby that you need to ‘earn the right’ to play wide, mainly by going tight and straight; and the All Blacks certainly did that. Anton Segner again made himself a willing carrier in the ugly areas of the pitch, as he continues to impress on this tour, as did Peter Lakai, Tyrel Lomax and Codie Taylor to name just a few. That combination got the All Blacks consistently over the gainline and consistently on the front-foot, which is exactly when Ratima or Preston would come into their own.”
‘Composure under pressure’
Charlie Elliott. Ruck.co.uk
“[Josh] Jacomb made a strong case for a starting role at fly-half [first five], impressing with his quick hands, high-tempo approach and composure under pressure.
“The Chiefs man dealt superbly with kicks in behind, including one on his own tryline, while also producing a neat offload for Carter’s second. He was excellent, even if Ruben Love remains slightly ahead.”
‘Gradually clicked through the gears’
Ian Cameron, Rugby Pass
“The Bulls had a formidable start at Loftus Versfeld, but having two tries scrubbed off badly hurt their chances of making a game of this one as the All Blacks gradually clicked through the gears.
“There was plenty of endeavour and plenty of physicality from the hosts, yet it often felt as though every big moment went against them in the opening 40. To their credit, the Bulls were far better after the break and finished with some fight, even if the result had long since been put to bed by half-time.”
‘Tough test selections’
Craig Ray, Daily Maverick
“The All Blacks delivered a muscular performance that was a perfect reminder that, for all their slickness, they can roll up their sleeves and do the physical stuff as well as anyone – comfortably putting the Bulls away.
“Their pack was immense, while out wide the movement and interplay of the back division, even with the inexperienced Josh Jacomb at flyhalf, was ominous.
“Although they weren’t error-free – there were some poor moments of loose handling of bad options – but the good outweighed the bad tenfold. Coach Dave Rennie will be a happy man at this stage of the tour and will have some tough test selections to mull over in the coming day or so.
“The All Blacks scored more than 100 points in two games this week, including a 54-0 win over the Sharks on [Wednesday NZT], and look in fine fettle heading into four test series against the Springboks starting next week.”
‘World-class scrummaging ability’
Henry Lee, Rugby Pass
“The All Blacks’ scrum was the best it’s looked all tour, helped by Tyrel Lomax’s world-class scrummaging ability. Lomax also provided the All Blacks with a powerful presence with ball in hand.”
‘Difficult for the coaching team’
Jared Wright, Planet Rugby
“Caleb Clarke’s injury eased the wing selection debate somewhat until tonight. [Leroy] Carter was outrageous from start to finish as he floated around the pitch looking for work and to make an impact. He played a big role in Moorby’s first score with his blistering crossfield run, then crucially reclaimed Barrett’s kick for the second. He did outstandingly well to stay in field for his try early in the second half, assisted Ioane’s before doubling his own tally. He has made it incredibly difficult for the coaching team to overlook him.”
All Blacks captain Codie Taylor takes on the Bulls defence in Pretoria. Photo / Photosport
‘Brilliant in attack’
Nicholas Zaal, The Citizen
“These results, occurring in the space of eight days, will boost New Zealand’s confidence ahead of their first of four Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tests against the Springboks at Ellis Park next Saturday.
“The visitors were brilliant in attack, opening gaps in the Bulls’ defence at will to score four tries in the first half (24-0 at the break) and another four in the second half.
“The Bulls improved in the second period and scored three tries after a couple were disallowed in the first half. But they were ultimately outplayed.
“The All Blacks have now beaten the Bulls four out of five times, in meetings dating back to 1949. The Bulls’ only win came in 1976 as the old Northern Transvaal (29-27).”
‘Clinical. Ruthless. Utterly unforgiving’
Dustin Wetdewich, Nova News
“This wasn’t a mismatch on effort or ambition. The Bulls roared out of the blocks with genuine attacking intent, enjoyed periods of territorial dominance and showed flashes of the quality that makes them one of South Africa’s most dangerous outfits. But rugby at this level is won and lost on fine margins, and the Bulls coughed up possession, knocked on at crucial moments, and made poor decisions when composure was required.
“The All Blacks? They were clinical. Ruthless. Utterly unforgiving. Every Bulls mistake was punished with surgical precision, every half-gap exploited with devastating efficiency. By the time the final whistle pierced the Highveld air, New Zealand had chalked up 50 points and completed a clean sweep of the Greatest Rivalry tour without conceding defeat.
“For the Bulls and their faithful, this one will sting. They had their moments. They showed spirit. But they simply couldn’t match the visitors’ relentless accuracy.”
‘A high-tempo All Blacks team’
Ben Smith, Rugby Pass
“Outstanding performances from Anton Segner, wingers Josh Moorby and Leroy Carter and Josh Jacomb fuelled a high-tempo All Blacks team that looked the sharpest it has so far on the tour.
“The All Blacks survived an early onslaught from the home side, repelling multiple mauls from the five before a statement scrum which put the Bulls pack on the floor.”