Rugby: Inability to put the hammer down costs All Blacks

Analysis - If you're counting, that's now three tests this season that the All Blacks have failed to score any points in the last 20 minutes.

One other - the first win over England - saw only one penalty goal kicked in that period of the game.

This is something cost the All Blacks in Wellington; now, it has cost them at Ellis Park.

• Read how the game unfolded here.

Just what slipped through their fingers in the 31-27 loss can't be underestimated. Knocking off the world champions at their spiritual home and in front of a ferocious 62,000-strong crowd would have sent a clear message: that this new All Black side means business.

Instead, it's now more of the same in terms of building and development.

Yes, Damian McKenzie looks far more assured than he did against England. Yes, the lineout is more stable. Yes, the attack is crisper and more focused.

But all this doesn't really matter if the All Blacks can't put the hammer down when they really need to. This test was never going to be as straightforward as the Argentina test at Eden Park, when a dominant first half meant the All Blacks didn't need to score anything more after the 42nd minute.

"It's obviously the discipline stuff, a bit of kick battle, small moments and the game changed just a little bit of momentum," coach Scott Robertson said post-match.

"Great experience for those young guys, but we've just got to execute better because that's how we're going to finish tests better."

We should acknowledge what was good about the All Blacks' performance, because there was plenty of it.

Caleb Clarke was well-rewarded with two excellently finished tries, Ethan Blackadder was immense and Sam Cane not far behind. Tupou Vaa'i looks far more like a finished product and TJ Perenara has clearly bounced back from his off game in Wellington.

Codie Taylor was the All Blacks' best, immense on both sides of the ball.

It is worth remembering that a fair few of the All Blacks had never even been to South Africa, let alone Ellis Park, before this tour.

Gone are the days of blooding every potential All Black in Super Rugby matches in the republic, so it's worth considering whether the thin air at 1753m above sea level might have had an effect on the less experienced players.

Then there's the 14-5 penalty count in the Springboks' favour.

For all the talk about Bongi Mbonambi's dubious try, the All Blacks should really count themselves lucky they didn't find themselves a man down in the first half.

But really, the biggest area of concern is the bench and their lack of impact.

It's an odd thing to be bringing up, since the All Blacks' best win of the year was built off a stunning performance by one of their replacements, but at the time it was felt there was no place for Beauden Barrett in the starting side.

They were up against a Springbok team that uses its replacements entirely differently; one that has made bench impact part of their identity. Mbonambi might have scored, but there's little doubt who is the better player between him and Malcolm Marx.

Rassie Erasmus's "bomb squad" got a thunderous ovation when they were introduced in the second half and played their part in ultimately winning the game. Both of the Boks' late tries were scored by replacements, with Kwagga Smith and Grant Williams getting over the line in remarkably similar circumstances.

It's something that Robertson was well aware of.

"Look, a lot of South African players could start, couldn't they? They've got good depth and they play that well. But we still had opportunities. Then off the back of that with a bit of discipline, all those things combined, really."

On the other hand, the All Blacks didn't get much out of their replacements.

Mark Tele'a came onto the wing and only touched the ball inside his own half. Samipeni Finau was anonymous, while Anton Lienert-Brown showed why he should really be starting if he is picked in the squad at all.

Ofa Tu'ungafasi's contribution was unfortunately to head straight back where he'd come from, which gave the Boks a way back into a game they should've been shut out of after an hour.

Of most concern though is the Boks did problem-solve this one after squandering a great deal of their own possession. Like the Argentina loss, they simply kept the All Blacks pinned in their own half and went hunting for the ball.

It worked, and here we are talking about how the All Blacks are going to fix some big issues this week as the action heads to Cape Town.