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Stephen Donald loses the ball - Source: Reuters -
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The best air raiders in world rugby, South Africa have exposed the All Blacks' limited bomb defusal skills.
Well before the international season began, coach Graham Henry lamented the lack of players able to consistently field high kicks throughout the top levels of the New Zealand game.
That was borne on the field on Sunday as Henry's men bumbled a barrage of high balls from Springboks inside backs Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn throughout the 19-31 loss.
First five-eighth Stephen Donald spilled one after 45 seconds and there was no relent from that point on for the back three of fullback Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko.
"The Springboks are outstanding at it, the way they put their kicks right on the button," Muliaina told NZPA.
"It (catching) is definitely a work in progress.
"We spilled a few balls and we were parked inside our own 22 for the majority of that second half."
Muliaina believed it would be foolhardy to try and match the Springboks in a kick-fest because they had become so adept at it.
"It's fair to say the South Africans love the fact they can go to a lineout or, if we kick long to them, they've got kickers who can kick 60-odd metres down the field."
Rokocoko was dropped for the test defeat of Australia in Auckland two weeks ago, with the selectors believing Cory Jane was a superior option for fielding kicks.
The 26-year-old was surprisingly reinstated for the two tests against South Africa, and found himself under an aerial siege.
He struggled to handle it today, with the ball inevitably bouncing from his chest under pressure from chasers.
Rokocoko, who wasn't the only guilty party, said Springboks wingers Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen had refined their chasing and contesting skills to a fine art.
"The wingers are really good at angling in and putting their hands in front," he said.
"(Habana) has good angles coming in and putting his hands up. So if you are concentrating on the ball, you don't know whether to concentrate on the guy coming across.
"They have been doing it for four or five years, it is nothing new."
NZPA WGT dg md
02/08/09 12-43NZ
