Dave Rennie has pointed to a critical error by Will Jordan as the defining moment in the All Blacks' 29-24 defeat to the Springboks in Soweto, a result that hands the world champions a 2-1 series advantage.
The match appeared finely balanced when Jordan crossed for his try in the 56th minute, pushing New Zealand ahead 17-12 after an even first half had ended 12-12. Yet within two minutes, Jesse Kriel responded for the Springboks, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's conversion shifted momentum decisively.
"I think the Springboks got a fair bit of momentum mid-second half and we were able to play a high-tempo first half after we saw a lot of their big men struggling and were keen to try and make that play in the second half," Rennie told reporters. "But we made a few errors which slows the game down to a scrum and then often a penalty in field position for them."
The All Blacks' assistant coach acknowledged that the period immediately following Jordan's try proved fatal. "So, I had a period where just after we'd had the lead, they dominated us at set-piece and won all the scraps and had all the momentum for that period and obviously got reasonably well in front," he said.
Both sides managed four tries in front of a capacity crowd at FNB Stadium. Kurt-Lee Arendse, Kriel, Malcolm Marx and a penalty try accounted for South Africa's touchdowns, while Ardie Savea's brace, alongside efforts from Jordan and Samisoni Taukei'aho, kept New Zealand competitive. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty and two conversions for the Springboks, with Ruben Love and Damian McKenzie converting for the visitors.
Rennie's frustration centred on execution rather than effort. The All Blacks had targeted South Africa's forward pack in the opening 40 minutes, seeking to exploit perceived fatigue with a high-tempo approach. That strategy yielded parity at the interval but unravelled when errors handed the Springboks set-piece platforms and territorial advantage.
The defeat leaves New Zealand trailing with one Test remaining in the series. Whether the All Blacks can recalibrate their approach to nullify South Africa's set-piece dominance and maintain the tempo that troubled the world champions early on will define the final encounter.