John Smit Urges Springboks Not to Panic After 33-16 Loss to All Blacks at Ellis Park
- Former Springbok captain John Smit addressed the Boks' surprise defeat to the All Blacks in the opening Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test
- South Africa entered the four-Test series on a 12-match winning streak before suffering a heavy loss in Johannesburg
- Smit warned that South Africans tend to swing quickly from confidence to catastrophe when the Boks lose
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Former Springbok captain John Smit has urged the South African rugby public and the team's players not to overreact to their 33-16 defeat against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on 22 August 2026, insisting the Boks retain the ability to mount a strong response in the remainder of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby AUNZ podcast, Smit acknowledged the weight of the loss but cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single result.
"I reckon this week will be about: you can't panic now," he said.
"So, I think it's all about the calm and trying to find their rhythm again."
South Africa's winning run ended in Johannesburg
The Springboks arrived at the four-Test series carrying a 12-match winning streak, making the Johannesburg defeat a significant early setback. The loss handed New Zealand a commanding advantage heading into Saturday's second Test in Cape Town.
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Smit pointed to a damaging sequence of events in the first Test as the turning point. Malcolm Marx losing the ball over the line, followed immediately by Grant Williams being charged down, produced a 14-point swing that shifted momentum decisively towards the All Blacks.
"You go from having momentum to getting a spanking," Smit said, adding that he would have used the dressing room to refocus on the periods of the match the Boks controlled, rather than on the final scoreline.
Smit backs Boks to respond over remaining Tests
Smit was direct in his assessment of how South African supporters tend to respond to such defeats.
"South Africa will be depressed into all hell, and it'll be like the world has come to an end and what is happening," he said.
"People quite easily go from zero to catastrophe in South Africa when the Boks lose."
Despite the margin of defeat, Smit remained firm in his belief that the series is far from over.
"We haven't become a s**t team in one day. We actually can bounce back and give this series a proper go; there are three games left," he said.
The second Test between South Africa and New Zealand is scheduled for Saturday in Cape Town, with the Springboks looking to level the series and reset the tone of the competition.
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Source: Briefly News
