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'12 rounds of boxing': Jason Ryan breaks down All Blacks’ Ellis Park escape
Sport Nation • August 24th, 2026 8:29 am
Photo: Kerry Marshall/Photosport
Jason Ryan had plenty to celebrate after a remarkable weekend for the Ryan household.
While his son Olly helped Northland reclaim the Ranfurly Shield, Ryan was part of the All Blacks coaching group that watched New Zealand stun the Springboks 33-16 at Ellis Park.
Speaking with Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy, Ryan admitted the All Blacks were under immense pressure early, particularly at scrum time.
The All Blacks faced 15 scrums on its own ball, compared with just four on South African possession, while Ethan de Groot was forced to battle through a knee strain at altitude.
“On average in the last five years we’ve had five or six scrums on our ball,” Ryan said.
“That’s going to take its toll on the boys.”
Ryan said the combination of altitude, South Africa’s scrum pressure and de Groot’s injury created the “perfect storm”, but praised the All Blacks for finding a way through it.
“We hung in there and we were up against it, weren’t we? Far out.”
The replacement front row of George Bower, Asafo Aumua and Fletcher Newell eventually helped turn the tide, with their scrum providing the platform for the late surge that sealed the win.
Ryan compared the battle to a grueling fight.
“I’ve always used the analogy to the boys that scrummaging can be a little bit like 12 rounds of boxing,” he said.
“You might not win every round and we probably lost eight last night, but we won a couple of big ones to get some points up.”
The coach was also full of praise for lock Fabian Holland, whose charge-down try helped swing the match New Zealand’s way.
“He’s got a lot of unseen efforts,” Ryan said.
“He does a lot of work off the ball and he prides himself on that area of the game.”
We are the damn All Blacks! | The Rugby Run
Ryan believes the All Blacks’ conditioning and leadership were crucial in allowing them to withstand the Springboks’ physical onslaught before finding another gear late in the test.
He also revealed the squad’s tight bond, sharing how the entire group stopped training to watch the haka during the captain’s run.
“It was just a moment of where this group’s at,” he said.
With the Lions arriving just three days after the Ellis Park thriller, Ryan admitted the turnaround has been frantic, but said the squad remains energised and connected.
Looking ahead to the second Springboks Test in Cape Town, Ryan identified two priorities: resetting mentally after the massive win and ensuring the team has a full tank when it matters most.
“One would be the reset. The second one would be making sure we’ve got a full tank when we need it.”
Listen to the full interview below:
