‘They look vulnerable’: Victor Matfield spots weakness ahead of Boks' first All Blacks clash

Former South Africa captain Victor Matfield has said that he “saw something” in the All Blacks‘ 50-19 win over the Bulls at the weekend that showed a weakness in Dave Rennie’s side ahead of their first meeting with the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The All Blacks completed their final warm-up match before the Test series with a comfortable win at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, building a 24-0 half-time lead.

As impressive as the visitors were in the first half, the former Springboks lock has said they looked “vulnerable” in the second half as the “pressure came” from United Rugby Championship runners-up.

Of course, the All Blacks had a comfortable cushion to fall back on in the second stanza, but Matfield believes the Springboks would have drawn confidence from watching the performance.

Speaking on his Rugby Rivals podcast, the 2007 World Cup winner said that he expects that vulnerability to be exposed again in Johannesburg if Rassie Erasmus’ side “really bring the physicality”.

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“I think they’re looking good,” he said. “I think they are really dangerous in transition play at the moment. It’s like the All Blacks of old. There were a few guys who really impressed me. I thought [Anton] Segner, the opensider, who I didn’t know, was really good, and then Rieko Ioane I thought was outstanding against the Bulls. I still think No.13 is his position, he just looked sharp, he looked fast, every time he touches the ball he looked really dangerous. I think there are a few guys who put their hands up and said ‘listen, we want to be selected for the first Test match.”

“But I do think there was a little bit in that second half where I thought the Springboks would have a look at this and think ‘If we really put the pressure on, if we really bring the physicality, if we keep them in their half, they look vulnerable.’ I just think something in that Bulls game, the first half I thought the All Blacks were great, and then the second half, once the pressure came a little bit from the Bulls, I just saw something that I’m looking forward to for Saturday.”