All Blacks Captain Ardie Savea Makes Brutal Admission After Springboks Defeat
- Ardie Savea has opened up about the difficult moments that left the All Blacks chasing the Springboks during a dramatic Test in Cape Town
- The All Blacks captain has revealed the area of their game that needs attention as New Zealand prepares for another huge battle against South Africa
- With the Springboks and All Blacks now level in the 4-Test series, Savea’s latest comments offer an early glimpse at what could decide the next Test
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Source: Getty Images
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea has made a blunt admission after New Zealand’s 33-26 defeat to the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday, 29 August 2026, acknowledging that his side cannot afford to give South Africa another early advantage.
The Springboks raced into a commanding position before New Zealand launched a determined fightback. South Africa eventually held on to level the 4-Test series at 1-1.
Savea said the All Blacks were immediately placed under pressure by South Africa’s physical approach.
“It’s always a physical game against the Springboks,” Savea said after the match as reported by SA Rugby Magazine.
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“They came out firing at the start and we can’t let the Springboks get ahead like that.”
Source: Getty Images
Ardie Savea demands changes
The New Zealand captain was encouraged by the fightback but admitted there were areas requiring attention before the next Test.
“We’ve got to just fix up little areas in our game and not let the Springboks get into our 22, rack points up in threes and put pressure on us,” he said.
Savea added that the team would return to the drawing board on Monday. The series now moves to Johannesburg for the third Test on 5 September.
Springboks veteran earns new nickname after All Blacks battle
Briefly News previously reported that Siya Kolisi had a special message for veteran Springbok Deon Fourie after South Africa’s 33-26 victory over the All Blacks in Cape Town.
Kolisi revealed the affectionate nickname the squad now uses for the 39-year-old, while praising Fourie’s hunger and determination after he was thrust into the starting line-up at short notice.
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Source: Briefly News
