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Durban - It was carnage on Saturday when New Zealand gave South Africa a rugby lesson second to none in front of close to 50 000 spectators at a blustery Growthpoint Kings Park.
The All Blacks put South Africa to the sword by scoring nine unanswered tries.
It was sporting theatre of the highest quality as the reigning World Champions put on a sublime display of total rugby.
The hapless home side simply had no answer to the power, pace and pure rugby genius of the men in black.
With this victory the All Blacks equalled the world record of 17 consecutive test victories that they now share with the Springboks.
This was also the biggest winning margin ever over a Springbok side by the All Blacks.
The Boks put the All Blacks under a bit of pressure early on in the game by employing the tactic of getting numbers in and around the tackle area.
The home side managed to force a few penalties slotted by fly half Morné Steyn.
But this unfortunately seemed the only way the Boks could get on the scoreboard.
The All Blacks enjoyed the bulk of the possession. They just stuck to their guns, absorbed the pressure and attacked the Boks from all angles. In the end, the Boks’ defence just couldn’t hold out coach Steve Hansen’s charges.
It was a masterclass of rugby for which the Boks simply had no answer against the best rugby team on the planet.
The Springboks once gain made the mistake of kicking away their hard-earned possession whenever they came into the All Blacks’ 22m area.
This nonsensical tactic proved to be suicide as the Boks had to tackle for almost the entire match as if their lives depended on it.
The All Blacks showed tremendous patience on attack that ultimately resulted in the Boks’ defence crumbling under the relentless onslaught from the men in black.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has to learn that the game of rugby is played with the sole purpose of scoring tries.
At no stage did it seem that the Boks even looked like crossing the whitewash.
You cannot always rely on the boot of Steyn to win you rugby tests. The philosophy to play rugby without the ball is a negative one and one that will never be sustainable to win test matches.
Steyn’s opposite number, Beauden Barrett, who scored two tries, missed quite few kicks at goal, which would have made the margin even bigger.
What is particularly worrying is that it seemed as if South Africa’s only attacking weapon is kicking an up-and-under.
This is undoubtedly the lowest point in South African Rugby history. This a sad state of affairs for a once proud rugby nation.
To say that Springbok rugby is in the doldrums is an understatement.
The SA Rugby Union is rotten to the core from the top down.
They have to largely take the blame for the shambles that was witnessed by Springbok fans on Saturday.
