Springboks fans look on in disbelief after All Blacks drubbing.
The one thing nobody predicted for the showdown at Ellis Park was Springboks fans walking out of the stands with five minutes remaining, their team having been humiliated 33–16 by the All Blacks.
The wonderful thing about the ancient rivalry between the Springboks and the All Blacks is that it so often conjures up the unexpected. And there could have been few who saw this coming.
The All Blacks were outgunned at scrum time and under pressure, yet they hung on and struck ruthlessly on the counterattack, scoring five tries to the Springboks’ one.
The build-up to the match had been a throwback to the spy dramas of the Cold War, with media “spies” planted at Springbok and All Black press conferences to ask questions designed to give their respective coaches intelligence — much of it apparently aimed at referee Matthew Carling.
