Dave Rennie's verdict on bruising Timoci Tavatavanawai All Blacks performance

It was a night of linebreaks and freestyle rugby at Ellis Park on Tuesday, with the All Blacks completing a wild comeback against a Lions team that outperformed expectations in front of a vocal Johannesburg crowd.

Starring in the performance was powerful All Blacks midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai, who led the game with eight tackle busts on 13 carries, while making three linebreaks, running for 137 metres with the ball in hand, winning two steals, and making four offloads.

Tavatavanawai entered the game with a point to prove after missing selection in July and is understood to have been challenged on his fitness levels coming into his All Blacks return for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

Exactly how well he fared in All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s work-rate metrics remains to be seen, but Rennie’s initial thoughts after the match were very positive.

“He ended up coming off because of cramps; we were pretty keen for him to go 80 if he could. Look, whenever he’s close to the ball, he’s really strong; he’s good post-tackle, and he hits hard, and he carried very well tonight,” the coach told reporters after the full-time whistle.

“I thought he went well. He maybe ran out of puff late in the piece, but at altitude, there were quite a few people running through treacle tonight.”

The change at midfield happened in the 64th minute, with Josh Jacomb coming on and filling in alongside Anton Lienert-Brown.

With a Test against the Springboks coming up on Saturday in Cape Town, the Kiwi substitutions were closely watched for insights into who may feature in the second game of the Test series.

The coaches reluctantly threw Xavier Numia into the action after 70 minutes, hoping to keep him as fresh as possible for Saturday now that Ethan de Groot has been ruled out.

Captain Patrick Tuipulotu was the first man to leave the field at the 48-minute mark, suggesting he will be involved in the Cape Town Test after Josh Lord’s injury over the weekend.

Tuipulotu, who started alongside Sam Darry and was replaced by Jamie Hannah, also shared his thoughts on the match after the clutch win was secured, and insisted the midweek performance wouldn’t hold him back should he be called upon for Saturday.

“Tough match, I think the Lions played really well,” he said. “They really tested us at the set-piece and especially around the breakdown and getting over the ball quite quickly. Not good things for heading into a Test match, but I think now the guys we had on the field, having played against the Lions team, really enjoyed it.

“We seemed a bit calm, even though there was some chaos and they were up on the scoreboard. So, credit to our game-drivers and the guys on the field who finished and really stayed in it and got over the line, especially in those lost few minutes.

“Into the Test match, I’m ready to go. It was just 40 minutes, but altitude’s a different thing, so hopefully I’ll feel better once we head to Cape Town. If I’m selected, I’ll be good to go.”