James Mortimer 16.Sep.2012Getty Images
Morne Steyn and Frans Steyn kicked just two of nine on the night, a change of some past matches where the South African snipers have made the All Blacks pay for indiscipline.
Number eight Kieran Read suggested that the penalties and chances for the South African kickers came from the All Blacks ‘fighting fire with fire’ and wanting to make sure they met the Springboks physicality at the breakdown head on.
"We wanted to match them at the breakdown and be physical at the tackle and sometimes you get a bit on edge and are likely to be penalised," said Read.
"We have to be more disciplined so we'll work on that.
However the mercurial Crusaders forward, who put in another workhorse display, did admit that it helped that the Springboks had one of the poorer nights with the boot.
"It was awesome for us that their kickers missed a few,” he said.
“But we've got to make sure we're better than that and don't concede so many penalties next time.
"You look at the statistics and, if they had kicked them we could have been in trouble."
Springboks captain Jean de Villiers on the other hand said that Steyn had an off day, and remarked that there was also a difference with what their kicking were used to in regards to ball selection.
"That's (Steyn kicking one from five) rugby,” de Villiers said.
“You make mistakes, I make mistakes as a player. Unfortunately he (Steyn) couldn't kick all his goals, that doesn't make him a bad player."
"We need to understand that we've played with a different ball,” the Springboks skipper continued.
