WELLINGTON – Another tense win for his All Blacks will be deposited in the players’ bank of self belief, says coach Steve Hansen.
After soaking up 60 minutes of pressure from South Africa, New Zealand powered home to win their Rugby Championship Test 27-20 in Johannesburg on Saturday in a manner typical of their tight finishes of the last 18 months.
Despite their remarkable dominance since the 2011 World Cup, only six of the All Blacks’ last 20 Tests have resulted in wins by 10 points or more.
The late surge at Ellis Park was typical of Hansen’s men, who needed a try from captain Richie McCaw and late penalty from debut five-eighth Lima Sopoaga to overcome the stern Springboks challenge.
“It’s not the first time we’ve won a tight match and this team seems pretty good at it. Every time we’ve done it, they grow an arm and a leg because of it,” Hansen told journalists.
“I don’t think it’s about being relieved, they’ll probably get a lot of confidence out of it.”
