Kwagga Smith says the Springboks failed to use their opportunities in Saturday’s 24-17 defeat to the All Blacks at Eden Park.

The Boks found themselves 14-0 down after conceding two soft tries inside the opening 17 minutes. While they fought back strongly and closed the gap to within a score, their high error rate and inability to finish chances ultimately cost them.

The All Blacks extended their remarkable unbeaten run at Eden Park to 51 Tests, with the Boks’ last win at the Auckland fortress dating back to 1937.

Smith admitted the visitors only had themselves to blame.

“We’re very disappointed. I think we had opportunities and we didn’t use them,” he said. “It’s now about reviewing that and making sure that next weekend [in Wellington], when we get those opportunities, we actually use them and convert them into points.”

The Bok flank said the early defensive lapses had left the team chasing the game.

“Those first two tries – they hadn’t even put up one phase and they scored. I don’t know if it was a lack of intensity or focus, but it was just a little bit too easy for them to get those 14 points. Then when we got into their 22, we lost the ball or gave away a penalty. Those are opportunities we didn’t use.”

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The flanker said the slow starts that have hampered the Boks recently remain a concern.

“It’s difficult, because you build up, build up, and then something goes wrong and you lose a game. It’s not like we planned it. We came into this game wanting to fire and get the win, but things went against us. We’ll review it and make sure we get better.”

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The breakdown was another key battleground, with All Blacks Test centurion Ardie Savea proving hugely influential.

“I think the breakdown battle was quite big tonight. Ardie did really well in his 100th game – it was a massive occasion for him.

“The ball was slippery, it spat out at a lot of breakdowns, and they got a few turnovers. We’ll review that and make sure we clean it up. The weather played a part, but we can definitely do better in that area.”

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Much was made of the Boks’ record at Eden Park, with only a couple of players in the squad having played the All Blacks there before.

“We tried not to make it a big thing, because at the end of the day it’s still a rugby field, 100 by 70 metres. But obviously, for them it’s massive. They want to protect that record, and they did well tonight to keep it going.”

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Despite the loss, Smith pointed to positives.

“Our scrum functioned well, and the fact that we didn’t give up and kept playing was really good. We got ourselves back into the game and gave ourselves a chance. But like I said, we didn’t use our opportunities – we left a lot of points out there.”

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For Smith, there’s no greater test than facing New Zealand.

“It’s definitely the games I love the most, playing against the All Blacks. It’s something I treasure, because you measure yourself against the best team in the world. It’s special coming here, seeing their fans get behind them, and taking on that challenge of trying to get a win.”

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