Forget the log, the Boks were streets ahead of the All Blacks in the Rugby Champs

It has been interesting to see some of the discourse after the Springboks win in the recent Castle Lager Rugby Championship, especially the downplaying of what a magnificent achievement it was to win back-to-back tournaments.

Add to that the poor start, the loss at Ellis Park and mediocre Cape Town performance against the Wallabies and the disappointment of a missed chance at Eden Park and it is understandable that some people don’t want to get ahead of themselves.

But there clearly was a shift in momentum, a shift in the balance of power in world rugby and a clear shift in the age-old rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks.

The two sides may have ended up on the same points on the log, with the Springboks winning on points difference, but the gulf between the two sides at the moment is as wide as it can be.

Of course there are caveats, New Zealand will raise their game when playing the Boks and they are still the next best side in world rugby at the moment. But on the evidence of Wellington alone, and Durban the next week, the Boks are a few streets ahead at this stage.

ALL BLACKS WILL IMPROVE

This isn’t saying the All Blacks won’t or can’t improve in the time they next meet the Boks, but what we saw in Wellington was an earth-shaking moment. The All Blacks lost by a record score at home. To think life just goes on after that is absurd, to say the least.

The Boks were there after the 57-0. The team moves on but the scars are real and if Durban was anything to go by, there is a lot more left in this Springbok team than people realise.

The momentum shift that has happened hasn’t quite been realised yet, and the Bok youngsters are only getting better.

Anyone thinking a points difference win in the Rugby Championship was a fair reflection of the tournament itself is kidding themselves.

Even the stats prove that as a fallacy.

Sanzaar has a wonderful website that compares the stats of two teams - it's worth taking a look at, and pitting the All Blacks - those masters of the attacking game - or so we are always told, against the current Springboks in this Rugby Championship gives some interesting stats.

Let’s start with tries. New Zealand scores 21 tries in the Rugby Championship across six games - that’s around 3.5 tries a game.

MASSIVE TRY STATS

The Springboks? Well, there were a massive 27 tries in their six games - almost a try a game more than the All Blacks.

That’s good, but it can be explained by the Wellington win, can’t it?

Well, it’s more than that.The Boks scored 209 points across their six games, the All Blacks 159.

And you would normally not associate the Boks with better attacking stats, but thanks to Totalball, they are there.

Both sides made similar carries - 684 for the Boks to 646 for the All Blacks, but the difference comes in quite starkly with metres made.

The Boks have a massive 2787 metres made as opposed to the All Blacks' 1900. That’s a difference of more than 120 metres per game extra made by the Boks.

And there is more.

The average metres gained per carry - an important stat for any team - is a remarkable 4.07 metres for the Boks, as opposed to the 2.94 metres for the All Blacks.

Clean Breaks? The Boks made a massive 48 in their six games - the All Blacks just 25. And that is after both sides had the same amount of defenders beaten (160-161).

The one part the Boks are absolutely bossing, which would normally be an All Black strength, is offloads. The Boks made an astounding 48 to the 33 from the All Blacks.

DISCIPLINE ALSO GOOD

Discipline was also a key factor in the Rugby Championship win, with the Boks conceding 56 penalties - less than 10 a game, while the All Blacks conceded a respectable 63.

The Boks did concede more turnovers, and that is an element they will need to tighten up on, as they are still a way away from the finished article. 102 conceded turnovers isn’t a great stat when the All Blacks conceded just 76.

The log may not say it, but South African rugby fans know it. The evolution for the Boks has more than begun. The flashes - 20 minutes at Ellis Park and the second half in Wellington and Durban shows where this Bok team is headed.

The Totalball approach is working, and while the log may not say it, the Boks were streets ahead by the time the Rugby Championship ended.