Second half is a Bok worry

TROUBLESOME: 'BOMB SQUAD' NO LONGER SUCH A BIG FACTOR FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONS

- Ross Roche

The Springboks will be desperate to fix a worrying trend this season — their second half struggles — ahead of two massive Rugby Championship games against the All Blacks in New Zealand.

The Boks have in recent times been regarded a strong second half team, mainly because of their famed "bomb squad" of replacements which has allowed them to finish strongly more often than not, and pluck wins from the jaws of defeat.

However, this season has seen a bit of a reversal of that trend, with the Boks being "beaten" in three second halves out of the six matches that they have played so far.

In 2024 the Boks didn't lose a single second half in all 13 matches they played over the year, and in fact outscored themselves in the second 40 on eight of those occasions.