Reinach admits Springboks 'felt the pressure' as All Blacks breakdown tactics proved decisive in 33-16 defeat

South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach has conceded that the Springboks “felt the pressure” the All Blacks applied throughout their 33-16 defeat in the first Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

Reinach, who came off the bench to replace Grant Williams during the match, pointed specifically to New Zealand’s relentless work at the breakdown as the defining tactical factor. Both scrum-halves were harassed by the All Blacks forwards all afternoon, and that pressure had direct consequences — Williams had a charge-down by Fabian Holland converted into the score that handed New Zealand a lead they never surrendered, while Reinach himself was yellow carded in the final quarter for an intentional knock-on at the back of a scrum.

“They put us under pressure and made us do things that led to my yellow card,” Reinach told the media ahead of the second Test in Cape Town, where he is set to start. “But it’s now up to us to work on that and see how we can defend certain things better or make better plans.”

The 36-year-old was clear that he did not believe New Zealand singled out the Springbok nines as individuals, but rather targeted the breakdown as a system. “I don’t think they targeted us as individuals as No 9s — they went after our breakdowns quite hard and tried to slow down the ball with throwing their legs and other things,” he said. “We felt the pressure and we knew we had to get the ball out somehow, and we have to work out ways around it.”

South Africa’s 23 turnovers in Johannesburg stand as the most telling statistical indicator of how thoroughly Dave Rennie’s side disrupted their hosts. Reinach acknowledged the review process after a defeat is uncomfortable but framed it as an opportunity. “The review after a loss is never good, but it’s learnings, and as long as we take the lessons and grow as a team, we will be in a good place.”

With the series now live heading into the Cape Town Test, the Springboks will need to find answers to the breakdown pressure that so clearly rattled their game-management in the first match.