South Africa vs. New Zealand: Winners and Losers in 2015 Rugby Championship Game
New Zealand took a gigantic leap toward a successful defence of their Rugby Championship title on Saturday after coming back from behind to defeat South Africa 27-20 at Ellis Park.
The Springboks were eager to bounce back from the defeat suffered at the hands of Australia in Week 1, but a late try from All Blacks veteran Richie McCaw saw Heyneke Meyer's side succumb to their bitter rivals.
With highs and lows for both outfits, Saturday's Rugby Championship clash threw up a host of winners and losers with differing repercussions, discussed in further detail ahead.
Winner: Jesse Kriel
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Saturday's defeat was a difficult one for the Springboks to take, and fans will likely be embittered by the manner in which it came about. But one thing for fans to be overjoyed with is the development of Jesse Kriel.
If his first two appearances in a South Africa jersey are anything to go by, the 21-year-old is on course to become a powerhouse of the Test arena, proving it against the world's best and brightest.
Kriel has caused waves in Pretoria following early strides with the Bulls in Super Rugby, but the world audience will soon know the playmaker's name if they don't already; he's the real deal.
Willie le Roux (80) and Charles Piutau (91) were the only players to beat Kriel's 76 carrying metres in Johannesburg, where he set one magnificent score up before grabbing his own in what was a terrific individual outing.
Standing up to Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith did take its toll, as Kriel's four unsuccessful tackle attempts mar his display somewhat. But Meyer's centre selection is a lot more promising with him present.
Loser: New Zealand Initiative
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"Slow and steady wins the race" must be akin to gospel in the eyes of New Zealand coach Steve Hansen, a man who would apparently tease his enemies with the promise of victory only to clutch it from their mitts at the last breath.
For that's precisely what the All Blacks have become so adept at, and how fitting it was that McCaw provided a simply worked line-out score with only minutes remaining to pile misery on the Boks.
With that being said, however, Saturday showed a strangely lethargic side of the world champions that South Africa might have punished more severely on another day and perhaps walked away with a different result.
It took almost an entire half for Hansen's men to score while allowing their opponents an unfamiliar share of space when attacking. It worked out in the end, but Hansen will certainly seek a quicker start in future.
Winner: Springboks Ambition
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For the second week in a row, South Africa were forced to settle with a depressing case of "so close, yet so far" against New Zealand, claiming their second losing bonus point of the tournament.
And for the second week in a row, there were glimpses of the Springboks playing some truly inspired rugby, with Handre Pollard, Kriel and Damian de Allende standing out as particular proponents of Meyer's new dynasty.
Try-scorer Le Roux adds a more experienced component to that formula, but uncertainty among the South African back line is quickly being taken over by a hopeful promise of what's to come.
Granted, it wasn't sufficient to earn the desired outcome on Saturday, but an important lesson to take from the loss is the Springboks appear to be progressing positively where they've needed it most.
Judging by the free-flowing hands and sparks of flair seen at Ellis Park, this emerging setup could go on to accomplish wonders, especially with some of their injured stars still waiting on a return to action.
Loser: Northern Hemisphere
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The general consensus in world rugby insists that the best of the southern hemisphere beat their northern counterparts in a head-to-head contest, an argument made difficult when the two aren't competing directly.
However, as we tick closer and closer to this year's World Cup in England, the elite from down under most certainly look like daunting opponents for the big guns of the European scene.
England and Ireland may have shown huge strides during this year's Six Nations, but if Saturday's end-to-end affair told us anything, it's that New Zealand and South Africa are still the two to beat.
Not for the first time in recent years, these servants of the sport laid on a spectacle of magnificent proportions with too many standout performances to mention in equal measure.
One can expect that dynamic to change in the coming months, and the fact that the World Cup is in England stands as a huge factor in itself. But pure talent in great numbers is a tough thing to overcome.
Winner: All Blacks Perseverance
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We've seen it time and again, but the elite of the rugby world—even a team so talented as South Africa—can't help but fall susceptible to New Zealand's trademark post-hooter perseverance.
Their lungs are inexhaustible, their skills are nigh-unmatchable and the result is the All Blacks being able to last like no other outfit while still maintaining superb quality until the very last touch of the ball.
Even though Saturday's first half in Johannesburg went largely in South Africa's favour, it says everything about New Zealand's class that they somehow trotted into the changing room level at 10-10.
And that achievement came in no small part thanks to a hooter-beating score from Ben Smith just before the break, the same method of scoring that saw New Zealand claim a crucial advantage against Argentina last Friday.
Then came a tense score of even greater ramifications as McCaw, making his 140th Test appearance, dotted down after 74 minutes to cap off a triumphant rise from the ashes.
Teams may put up all the fight they can, but when the chips are down and big plays are needed, there is still no team in the world better at coming up with the goods than Hansen's band of nonstop engines.
All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.
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