By Grant Chapman, Digital Sport Reporter
New coach Scott Robertson is braced for a backlash from All Blacks supporters, after extending his team’s losing streak against South Africa to four games for the first time in 75 years.
New Zealand have dropped back-to-back Rugby Championship games against the world champion Springboks, stumbling 18-12 at Cape Town this morning, after letting a 10-point lead slip away in a 31-27 defeat at Johannesburg last week.
Previous coach Ian Foster began the slide, with a 35-7 capitulation at Twickenham last August and a controversial 12-11 loss in the Rugby World Cup final in October.
Last time the All Blacks suffered that many losses against their archrivals was the ill-fated 1949 tour of South Africa, where the home side swept the tourists in a four-test series. The Springboks already had two previous wins up their sleeves from their 1937 visit to Australia and New Zealand, before World War Two interrupted the international programme.
After his unparalleled Super Rugby success with the Crusaders, Robertson is still coming to grips with the increased demands of the global game and acknowledges his results so far — just one win from four Rugby Championship outings — are not up to scratch.
“Our jersey demands that we win those games,” he reflected. “That’s not very philosophical.
“We care deeply about this jersey and we have to win those.”
Robertson admits he’s not looking forward to returning home, where All Blacks fans – and NZ Rugby – have high expectations of the national team.
“We’ve got to be frank and honest around it, that’s the way you do it,” he said. “You have to approach these things and step forward to it… yeah.”
Robertson expresses optimism over the opportunities his team have created over the past fortnight against the world-s top-ranked team, but admits they have not shown the ability to finish off those chances, especially late in the contest.
For the fourth straight game, the All Blacks failed to score in the final 20 minutes, despite shuffling their line-up to strengthen the bench. They have now been outscored 39-0 across those fixtures.
“They [South Africa] took their opportunities, especially in the 22, and they finished them,” said Robertson. “It’s been a helluva tour, we’ve created enough opportunities, but we haven’t finished them.
“We talk about being proud of all our efforts and taking care in what we do physically, but the black jersey demands the best of us to finish what we’ve created.
“Small margins, test footy… some great things to see and some great young players coming through, BUT not the result.”
Robertson has inherited a team that lost a core of generational players after last year’s World Cup and he has had to begin rebuilding towards the next tournament in 2027.
That process took another step forward with the promotion of rookie halfback Cortez Ratima and loose forward Wallace Sititi into the starting line-up against the world champions, while tryscoring phenomenon Will Jordan made a rare appearance in the No.15 jersey, where he proved so effective under Robertson at the Crusaders.
“You make those calls, you give guys opportunities and I’m really pleased for them,” said Robertson. “Great young men who will be great All Blacks.
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“They took their opportunity tonight, so I’m pleased for them.”
The All Blacks now have two weeks to prepare for the opening Bledisloe Cup test against Australia at Sydney.
