Senior All Blacks, including Richie McCaw (R), were heard complaining to the referee during the match.

The All Blacks say South Africa have returned to their time-wasting antics, at the same ground where they first accused them of feigning injuries eight years ago.

Senior New Zealand players voiced their concern at the number of Springboks who sought medical treatment during the All Blacks 14-10 win in Wellington on Saturday.

Captain Richie McCaw and No 8 Kieran Read regularly remonstrated with French referee Jerome Garces, believing the tourists were deliberately slowing the speed of the Test to nullify New Zealand’s high-speed approach.

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“There were probably a lot of stops in the game, which took away from the physicality all the time,” Read said.

“We wanted to play a tempo game. I think the way they play, they want to play at their pace.

“I was probably letting my feelings known to the referee when they went down. Hopefully they (officials) can sort it out next time.”

Following a Test win in Wellington in 2006, then-All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry said South African players had sought unnecessary treatment and said the tactic was also used by their Super Rugby teams that year.

There was criticism from observers that England slowed down Tests in New Zealand in June through delays in setting scrums and lineouts.

However, Read says the All Blacks struggle for flow against South Africa could also be attributed to the Springboks’ vigorous competition at the breakdown.

His No 8 opposite Duane Vermeulen led the way, tackling and driving with intent to force New Zealand into handling errors and poor tactical choices despite a surfeit of possession.

“We came out and probably didn’t really do what we said we were going to do,” Read said.

“It was about getting back to playing our game and backing ourselves and looking after that ball.”

Read was a standout for the All Blacks, making a host of dangerous offloads.

He produced the play of the day when leaping to collect a cross-kick and offloading to McCaw to score New Zealand’s only try.