Celebrated Test appearance for Savea in his milestone 100th game in New Zealand
In a thrilling match between the All Blacks and the Springboks, Ardie Savea played a pivotal role in New Zealand's victory. The flanker, who celebrated his 100th Test match, was lauded by coach Joe Schmidt as a "big play" maker in the dying moments of the game.
With just 90 seconds left on the clock, Savea made a crucial ruck turnover to deny a Springboks attack. This decisive moment was not lost on Schmidt, who was on his feet, along with the rest of the coaching staff, in appreciation of the critical steal.
Scott Barrett, Savea's teammate, expressed his pride in the way the rest of the team performed, particularly for Ardie Savea. Barrett described Savea as New Zealand's "spiritual leader," a testament to the influence the flanker holds within the All Blacks team.
The Springboks, on the other hand, struggled with ball control throughout the match. Coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged spells of terrible play in the Springboks' performance, but also noted spells of gutsy play. However, Erasmus refused to attribute the high error count to any specific cause, instead attributing it to a wasteful performance by the South African team.
Erasmus initially intended to play a similar team in both matches of the New Zealand tour, but has changed his mind due to the lack of ruthlessness. Despite the loss, Erasmus does not believe the All Blacks did anything illegally to cause the Springboks' poor ball control.
In light of the Springboks' performance, Erasmus is likely to make some changes to the squad for the next game against New Zealand. Specific player changes have not been detailed in the available information.
Despite the Springboks' struggles, Savea's performance was highly valued by the team. The All Blacks were motivated to win the match for him, and Savea can be rated among the best All Blacks players of the past decade.
The Springboks spurned numerous chances during the match, and their ball control was much more steady in the hands of the New Zealand team. As the series continues, both teams will look to improve their performance and secure a victory in the upcoming matches.
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