Erasmus blames errors, missed chances for All Blacks defeat

Springbok Coach, Rassie Erasmus, has admitted that errors and missed opportunities were some of the main reasons for his side’s downfall against the All Blacks in Johannesburg on Saturday .

New Zealand stunned the world champions 33-16 at Ellis Park in the first of four tests on their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

The Kiwis have now also reclaimed the number one spot on the world rankings.

After the clash, Erasmus rued his chargers’ failure to turn opportunities into points.

“Obviously, when you look in hindsight, you say, hell, there were a lot of things that we didn’t convert. But I believe there were two or three big moments where we just let the game get away from us. Not because we wanted to, or because we wanted to make those errors, but because New Zealand forced those errors onto us by being really intense and sharp. And then obviously, we lost Kurt-Lee and Andre. But I don’t want to make excuses. New Zealand just did really well in keeping us out there.”

New Zealand will next face the Lions in Johannesburg on Tuesday, before turning their attention to the second test, which will be decided in Cape Town next weekend.