SA’s epic 29-24 victory over the All Blacks came at a heavy price after star player Cheslin Kolbe was ruled out of the fourth and deciding Test, coach Rassie Erasmus said.
The Springbok flyer broke his jaw in Saturday’s bruising showdown in Soweto.
Kolbe’s brilliant all-round play and match-winning displays off the kicking tee will be sorely missed when the All Blacks make a last-ditch effort to level Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 2-2 in Saturday’s eagerly awaited decider in Baltimore (kick-off 11pm SA time).
The All Blacks also have injury concerns and will be without skipper Ardie Savea, who left the field with a shoulder injury in Soweto and will not be travelling with the squad for the clash at the NFL home of the Baltimore Ravens.
Also staying behind are props Carlu Sadie, Boan Venter and Ntuthuko Mchunu, as well as utility forwards Cobus Wiese and Ben-Jason Dixon, while backs Damian Willemse, Grant Williams and Canan Moodie, all of whom have struggled with injuries in recent weeks, are fit and will travel to the US.
“It was a truly epic Test match in Soweto,” Erasmus said.
“The All Blacks can still draw it in Baltimore, but obviously we are happy with this win.
“I don’t want to swear again because I got into trouble for that, and I apologise for that (he dropped the F-bomb after the second Test in Cape Town).
“But yes, it was epic. It was intense.
“It was a seriously good Test match in everything that it means because we were tested to our limits.
“Both teams lost vital players. We lost Cheslin, and I’m sorry to tell you that he has broken his jaw, so obviously he won’t travel to the US. They lost their captain, Savea.
“It was a fierce battle in all departments, and the score at the end showed how close it was. We are just happy we won.
“Now both teams are on the same flight to the USA, and we understand that we have to replicate this in Baltimore.”
Erasmus paid tribute to an All Blacks team who kept the ball alive during a tense clash.
“They are brilliant in how they handle the ball,” he said.
“None of us can say they don’t keep the ball alive; they play to their strengths.
“Last week we lost Damian Willemse in the first half, and this week it was Cheslin, and then we also had a yellow card for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“That put us under the pump, and we had to make some plans.
“Luckily, it was level at halftime at 12-12, but we knew then that we were playing against the wind.
“I don’t think we used it fully to our advantage in the first half.
“There were some penalties Sacha could have slotted from far out, and we were scrappy in our play.
“Clearly, we were nervous, and they were nervous.
“It was No 1 in the world versus No 2 in the world.
“We are not sitting here thinking we are awesome.
“We know we have plenty of work to get right before Baltimore.”
New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie said: “We were able to play a high-tempo first half, and we saw a lot of their big men struggling.
“In the second half, we made a few errors, which slowed the game down to a scrum, then often a penalty and some field position for them.
“Just after we had the lead (17-12), they sort of dominated us in set pieces and won all the scrums and had all the momentum.
“So yeah, look, it’s hard when you’ve lost the Test.
“It’s easier to reflect on all the negative things, and so yeah.
“Look, I can guarantee you, the room’s pretty gutted.
“I just walked in there before, and there’s a lot of heads down, and so there’s no doubt our mindset will be to bounce back next week.”
Scorers:
Springboks 29: Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Penalty try, Jesse Kriel, Malcolm Marx. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
All Blacks 24: Tries: Ardie Savea (2), Will Jordan, Samisoni Taukei’aho. Conversions: Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie.
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