Where it went wrong for Boks at Ellis Park

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Springbok prop Frans Malherbe pinpointed where it all went wrong for his team during their defeat to the All Blacks.

There was very little to celebrate for the Springbok during his 50th Test cap as the All Blacks recorded a 35-23 win in the Rugby Championship second-round clash at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Boks were out to secure rare back-to-back victories over the old foe after their 26-10 triumph in the opening round in Nelspruit.

However, they were outscored four tries to two and found themselves third on the Rugby Championship log.

Speaking to reporters, Malherbe revealed the lack of dominance in the scrums in the first half proved to be costly.

The starting front row of Malherbe, along with Ox Nche and Joseph Dweba struggled in that area and they conceded early penalties.

Dweba was replaced by Malcolm Marx after just 29 minutes, Nche made way for Steven Kitshoff prior to the half-time break, while Malherbe left the field after 52 minutes.

"It is always a tough battle against New Zealand," Malherbe said when asked about the scrums during the defeat.

"In the first half we did not get the dominance we wanted and it cost us."

He added: "The All Blacks also put us under pressure with their attacking play."

Commenting on achieving the career milestone of playing a half-century of Tests, Malherbe said: “It was special to play my 50th Test for the Springboks.

"In short, it has been a very special journey and to be part of this team is amazing.

"Obviously, however, it is disappointing that we couldn’t get the result.”

The Boks leave for Australia on Thursday.

They will face the Wallabies in two Tests in  Adelaide and Sydney, followed by a test against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

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