Springboks mobi-unit coach Duane Vermeulen has brushed off suggestions that South Africa were exposed at the breakdown during their 24-17 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park.
The breakdown has been highlighted as an area of concern in 2025, but the former number eight — a master in that department during his playing career — insisted it is not a major issue ahead of the second Test in Wellington.
Speaking to the media, Vermeulen challenged the narrative directly. “Do you know the number of breakdown turnovers they got?” he asked. When no answer came, he continued: “It was two poaches and maybe one counter ruck. Over an 80-minute Test, that’s hardly a massive talking point.”
Instead, Vermeulen emphasized that the Springboks’ overall game needs more attention. “Yes, they did a couple of things, but it’s not like they exposed us. The focus will always be there, but the bigger picture is where we need to improve. We can’t go into specifics.”
Interestingly, while Vermeulen downplayed the issue, head coach Rassie Erasmus did praise New Zealand’s breakdown work, even hinting that Scott Robertson may have sought input from legendary former captain Richie McCaw.
