Can the Springboks bounce back and recover from their 32-12 drubbing last week at the hands of the All Blacks?

Did the Boks simply have a bad day at the office last week in the Tri-Nations opener, or is Peter de Villiers and his side on the decline ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2011?

The second Tri-Nations test will provide these answers and give us plenty more to think about!

Watching the sides go through their pre-match warm-up, Victor Matfield looks psyched. I’ve never seem him look so angry or so focused in his 96 prior test matches. That is a great sign.

Danie Rossouw leads the side out in his 50th test match.

1st Min – Matfield misses the kick-off and the All Blacks have the early territory and a chance to see the scrums.

4th Min – The Springboks get the first penalty, and then Danie Rossouw gets a yellow card. I think the AB’s definitely have a ploy to try and niggle the Boks…and it’s working. What a shocking decision from the ref Alain Rolland.

6th Min – All Blacks get a penalty as Francois Louw penalised for not letting the tackled player go.
Justice as Carter misses the kick.

7th Min – Try. Nonu in the corner, as Kieran Read set the play up with a strong run. Quick ball saw it shifted to the other side of the field and de Villiers had to come in as the Boks lacked numbers out wide.
Like last week the AB’s making the Boks pay with a man in the bin.
Carter misses the conversion to keep the score at 5-0.
Boks up against it.

10th Min – The AB’s are playing the game at speed, running it from everywhere. They are killing the Boks.
Thankfully we get a penalty. Have to make first time tackles…doesn’t help we only have 14.

12th Min – Try. The AB’s score another 50m effort. This time the right hand corner. What bullshit refereeing. Fourie took the ball in and the tackler never let him go, allowing him to steal the ball. Well done to the AB’s it was a great try, but where is the consistency in the reffing? The Boks were penalised for doing the same thing.
Carter misses his third kick.
All Blacks lead 10-0.

16th Min – The Springboks have some semblance of attack, and penalised for not letting go. Schalk Burger warned for coming in at the side, next time yellow. What is the ref doing???

Taking into account Hamilton last year, the AB’s have now scored 8 unanswered tries against the Boks. That’s a disgraceful statistic.

21st Min – Boks finally get some ball, and Habana can’t handle.

23rd Min – Everytime the AB’s get the ball they find space. Even when they are initally under pressure. The Boks meanwhile struggle to break the advantage line.

30th Min – Penalty to the Boks. Probably lucky as the All Blacks had an overlap out wide.
Carter drills it down the middle.
All Blacks lead 13-0. Game over?

32nd Min – Weepu was laughing at the scrum. The All Blacks look relaxed, and are enjoying it. Kirchner saved an almost dire situation with a timely intercept.

36th Min – Rene Ranger didn’t use his arms in the tackle. Probably a fair enough tackle in my mind.
Although if they said he didn’t use his arms it should be a yellow card.

37th Min – Much better! Try time. Danie Rossouw stops the All Black scoring riot as Ricky Januarie set up Jean de Villiers to snipe through from the lineout, from the recycle Rossouw went over.
Morne Steyn converts and 13-7 is so much better.

40th Min – All Blacks win a penalty as they get to the breakdown in numbers. The Boks look slow, static and are getting bullied.
Carter misses his 4th kick of the half, otherwise the damage would be shocking.

Half Time – Springboks 7 All Blacks 13

The All Blacks have bossed and bullied the Boks. Each of their players have had strong performances, whereas the Bok loose trio, and midfield are largely anonymous.

The Boks only use the kick and chase and are getting slow, static ball that struggles to break the advantage line, whereas the All Blacks are being rewarded for running at speed, recycling quickly and that is finding massive holes in the bok defence.

It’s all mental from here. The Boks need to step up. Up the intensity, accuracy and the desire to compete at the highest level. I know they can do it, they just look unlikely at this stage.

BJ Botha on for CJ van der Linde, and Gio Aplon on for Jean de Villiers.

41st Min – Aplon immediately runs a ball back, and breaks the advantage line. Good boy. That’s a better attitude.

43rd Min – Cynical foul from McCaw 2m from his line. Send him off! Boks earn the penalty when a try was looming.
Morne Steyn narrows the gap and now we have a ball game. All Blacks lead 13-10.

45th Min – We are going to the TMO as Rene Ranger goes in at the corner.
The try is awarded and the score is now 18-10. All came as a poor kick from Januarie gave Muliaina too much space and he got the All Blacks over the advantage line.
Carter has another tough kick and pushes it wide.
Score 18-10.

50th Min – Boks penalised for holding on. What about the tackler(s) letting go??
Weepu replaces Carter as kicker. He knows the ground let’s see what he can do.
Weepu kicks it well. Score now 21-10.

54th Min – Andries Bekker on for Danie Rossouw, and Ruan Pienaar on for Ricky Januarie.
They need to be special!

56th Min – Pienaar’s first move is to kick the ball into touch on the full. Oh dear.

58th Min – Bok attack finally breaks down. The problem is the recycles are too slow and we have to start from a static position each time. All Black defence is solid.

60th Min – Better pressure at the scrum as the Boks turn the ball over. Now we have a scrum on the All Black 22m line.
It’s now or never.

61st Min – Aplon almost through for the try. A series of recycles, but the Boks just can’t score.
All Blacks get an official warning. I guess McCaw’s previous warning was unofficial.

Boks kick to the corner and can’t score. McCaw leads the All Black counter rucking that was superb.

63rd Min – Solid All Blacks defence, although I feel they haven’t been rolling away quick enough.
Sam Whitelock on for Tom Donnelly, and Jimmy Cowan for Piri Weepu and Israel Dagg for Rene Ranger. I wouldn’t have taken Weepu off.

65th Min – Try! Israel Dagg scores in the left hand corner. Shakes off 4 tackles. At least I think they were trying to tackle. Spies, Burger, Aplon, Kirchner…non-existent.
Game over.
Carter kicks it
All Blacks lead 28-10. Bonus point try for the All Blacks.

69th Min – This is a disgrace. Kirchner tackles high, although Cory Jane slipped into it. Could be a citing for that I feel.
Carter with the penalty makes it 31-10.

Ryan Kankowski on for Pierre Spies.

72nd Min – A great back from Kirchner, but he had no support.
It breaks down and the All Blacks win a penalty.

Aaron Cruden on for Ma’a Nonu as the All Blacks can do whatever they want now.

74th Min – Schalk Burger scores. All too late however.
Morne Steyn on song with the conversion to add some respecatability. Not sure they deserve it.
Score 31-17.

Chiliboy Ralepelle on for captain John Smit. Liam Messam is on for Richie McCaw.

Full Time – Springboks 17 All Blacks 31

Well done to the All Blacks who thoroughly deserved their victory as they clearly outplayed the Springboks.
Questions were answered for the Boks, and the question now is where too from here?