Matfield insists Springboks dominated despite falling 1-0 to All Blacks in series opener

Victor Matfield, the 127-Test Springbok lock and 2007 World Cup winner, has pushed back against alarm over South Africa’s defeat to New Zealand in the first Test of the Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, insisting the hosts dominated large portions of the match despite the loss.

“I don’t know. I’m not as worried as everyone else,” Matfield said on SuperSport’s Final Whistle show. “We dominated the scrums and second half we dominated the lineout. Attacking, we actually did better on attack between the 22 metres lines.”

Matfield pointed to three missed scoring opportunities in the first half as the decisive factor, rather than any All Blacks superiority. “I still think we dominated them,” he said. “There was no time in the game where I felt this is a team that’s going to beat us two, three times in a row.”

He did credit New Zealand for their clinical edge inside the Springboks’ 22, singling out halfback Cam Roigard — who finished with two try assists — as the difference-maker. “They were really good when they got to the 22. A guy like Roigard’s unbelievable. They do have special players that can play their big moments.”

The defeat carried immediate consequences in the world rankings, with New Zealand climbing from second to first and displacing South Africa at the top.

The Springboks will be boosted for the second Test in Cape Town by the return of captain Siya Kolisi to the starting line-up, with head coach Rassie Erasmus making a number of changes to the squad.

Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett raised the stakes further, arguing that World Cup places will effectively be on the line in Cape Town. “It’s one year out from the World Cup again; a lot of them still want to go to the World Cup,” Mallett said. “You’re playing the best team in the world now — they jumped ahead of us. You’re playing a very, very good team four times in a row, and you have to show your personality and your character.”

Mallett warned that Erasmus has the depth to make further changes if players fail to respond. “If we don’t, then Rassie has players that can step up. So this is a massive challenge for this group of players.”