Ethan Hooker: Bok scrum, kicking game won them the match against the All Blacks

'A lot of it came from scrum dominance. We got the ball rolling there,' said Springbok wing Ethan Hooker. A finally rewarded Springbok scrum and dominant aerial game gave South Africa the edge in their third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium on Saturday, said wing Ethan Hooker. The Boks turned a 12-all stalemate at half-time into a 29-17 lead for the final 10 minutes, thanks to two tries and a penalty, before the visitors scored a consolation try in the final play of the game (final score 29-24 to the Springboks). The result gave South Africa an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series before the fourth and final Test in the USA this coming weekend. Scrum dominance rewarded During the game, several scrum penalties were awarded by referee Nika Amashukeli, after some collapsed scrums by New Zealand were unpunished by Angus Gardner in the second Test in Cape Town. Hooker, who earned man of the match for some good carries, tackles and aerial contests where he either won the ball outright or fought back for possession after New Zealanders claimed it first, said the Boks went back to the basics in the second half. “A lot of it came from scrum dominance. We got the ball rolling there,” he said. “And then we got our contestable kicking game right. We got our ball back quite a bit, and focused more on ourselves than them and got our structures in place and got our momentum from there. “As soon as you get momentum the crowd joins and it just lifts you.” He said the nearly 86,000 fans were so loud players couldn’t hear each other 10m away. The swirling wind also made his role a challenge. “I enjoy the aerial contest. And having the wind factor and them being so good in the air as well, it tests you. “You have to think a lot more than the other games. I pride myself on my aerial contests and love going up against these guys because of how good they are in the air.” Springboks look ahead to fourth Test Hooker said the win will be “huge” for their confidence going into the fourth Test. “The job starts again now. We are already shifting our mindset for Baltimore. It is going to be at a neutral venue so it will be a bit different. “We will not have 90 000 people screaming for us. So we have to balance it out there. It’s a challenge and we’re getting ready for it.” He said playing the All Blacks was a huge mental and physical challenge, and an honour for any player. To play them four times in a row in this series – the first between the sides in 30 years – was a privilege.”