All Blacks stun Springboks at packed Ellis Park despite Am-azing Lukhanyo performance

Ellis Park

Lukhanyo Am's heroics, playing in an unfamiliar role at right wing, weren't enough to extricate the Springboks out of a fire of their own making in their 35-23 defeat to the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Boks arrived fashionably late to the occasion that was supposed to be their coronation as the superior nation of the two age-old rivals.

After losing Jesse Kriel early to concussion, Am had to slot into wing and played like he was born with the No 14 stitched on his back.

He was also denied a try assist for Makazole Mapimpi which might have made the difference in the momentum and score-line.

However, the Boks have themselves to blame for the Rugby Championship reverse after making a myriad of first-half mistakes that allowed the All Blacks to gain in belief.

The first five minutes were packed with mini-battles that set a tone for what was to follow: New Zealand won a short-arm penalty in the first scrum before Sam Whitelock picked Joseph Dweba's first throw-in.

Thanks to that first scrum, the All Blacks grew confident in their pack and even asked for a scrum with a 5m penalty from the Bok try line.

Damian Willemse received an early yellow card for cynical play during an Ardie Savea clean break down the left-hand touchline.

The Boks looked to be on the ropes, with Kriel even getting the now-customary Caleb Clarke concussion before Pieter-Steph du Toit intercepted in midfield for a great midfield break.

After he was taken down, he gave a lovely offload to Am, who also fell short.

Both sides now had a sighter but no mark on the board. It would remain scoreless for the rest of the quarter, but the Boks would gain confidence in withstanding early All Black pressure with the one-man deficit.

Eventually, All Black