‘All Blacks left on the floor’ in ‘grisly’ World Cup warm-up: World media react to record loss

The All Blacks’ “grisly’’ record defeat to the Springboks has been panned with world media anointing South Africa as Rugby World Cup favourites after their 35-7 “monstering’’ at Twickenham.

Charlie Morgan, writing in London’s Daily Telegraph, that “Scotland and Ireland, the Springboks’ pool opponents, might have been watching this monstering from behind their sofas by the end”.

He said, “warm-up or not, New Zealand will have left Twickenham with egos and bodies bruised from all-time record [35-7] loss; more so because they were close to full strength”.

“Jacques Nienaber’s team partied like it was the 2019 final, and seem in a strong position to defend their title across The Channel.”

Morgan felt substitute Cam Roigard’s “impressive solo try’’ which helped “avoid the ignominy of drawing a blank” was the All Blacks’ only positive.

The Guardian’s Rob Kitson wrote that the Twickenham tune-up was “about as grisly a dress rehearsal as New Zealand could possibly have experienced”.

David Rogers/Getty Images

All Blacks head caoch Ian Foster and his players look dejected after a record defeat to the Springboks.

“South Africa’s triumph was their most convincing in the 102-year history of this fixture and a depleted All Black pack were left in pieces on the floor.”

Kitson said the Boks would, on this evidence, “make mincemeat of one or two packs at the World Cup’’ and the world champions “will take some dethroning”.

Chris Foy, writing in the Daily Mail, said the Springboks “showed that they can defend the title they won in 2019, with a demonstration of force and flair”.

He felt while “it would be premature to write off New Zealand, never in their proud history have they been beaten so badly by anyone and it will savagely dent their belief ahead of a tournament opener against hosts France in Paris”.

Foy said, “in theory, these great rivals could meet again in the World Cup quarterfinals. If so, the Springboks are bound to take heart from striking a massive psychological blow here.”

Julian Finney/Getty Images

: Kwagga Smith of South Africa scores the team’s fifth try in their 35-7 rout.

The South Africa Rugby mag website headlined its report with “Boks gore shoddy All Blacks’’ and hailed Siya Kolisi and his teaem for “streamrolling the All Blacks’’ in “a massive confidence booster” for their World Cup title defence.

Tribute was also paid to hooker Malcolm Marx, who scored his 17th try to overtake Schalk Burger’s record for the most test touchdowns by a Springboks forward.

Leighton Koopman, writing for South Africa’s iol.co.za website, said “there wasn’t a facet that the Boks did not dominate for the entire game” and they had delivered on Kolisi’s pre-match pledge that they would “go all out”.

“And boy did they turn the screws on the All Blacks from the kickoff.”