Boks start to look dangerous

Published Oct 4, 2015

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James’ Park – Sometimes arrogance and confidence can be confused, and eyebrows were raised when Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said midweek that his plan that had long ago been conceived for the Rugby World Cup was going to come together against Scotland on Saturday evening and propel his team into the quarter-finals and beyond.

But Meyer is a passionate man and he truly believed that his brigade of old hands was coming into form and that with their injuries behind them, the team was not far off peaking at the right time.

So let’s give the coach credit where it is due. South Africa are starting to look ominously dangerous and the other leading contenders for the William Webb Ellis trophy will be looking over their shoulders at the rapidly improving Boks.

The difference that Fourie du Preez made since starting his first Test of the year last week against Samoa has been phenomenal.

Meyer has never ceased telling us that Du Preez is key to the Boks’ campaign, and never were truer words said. His influence on the players around him can’t be understated with flyhalf Handré Pollard, for one, growing in confidence almost every minute he plays with the cool scrumhalf next to him.

Other key figures are also playing exceptional rugby – Bismarck du Plessis was immense, as was Duane Vermeulen and the evergreen Schalk Burger, but at the heart of the mighty Bok effort up front was the exuberant second row pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager. It is hard to imagine even Victor Matfield forcing his back in ahead of De Jager, who was named Man of the Match yesterday.

A blight on the Boks’ otherwise efficient performance was the old problem of discipline. They had spoken long and hard about it during the week after conceding 15 penalties against Samoa but yesterday, tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis was yellow-carded for charging shoulder first into the side of a ruck.

Crazy stuff, especially after he was guilty of the same offence in the match against the World XV at Newlands earlier this year.

There was an inevitability about the Boks’ opening score after efficient phase play inched them closer to the line and a barrage of players bustled over, with the try being awarded to Bismarck du Plessis.

The Boks had been superior in the early exchanges by imposing themselves in the set- pieces, stealing two lineout throws, dominating the set scrums and twice turning ball over at the rucks. The lineout drive was the next arrow taken out of the Bok quiver and a 20m drive was rewarded with a penalty for Pollard to goal, extending the lead to 10 points after 17 minutes.

The confidence in the Boks was reflected in them taking a kick to the corner as early as the 23 minutes, although it also brought their first lineout loss of the tournament and when another penalty came their way in the 25th minute, right in front of the posts, captain Du Preez opted for the three points.

The Boks’ second try was an absolute gem and came on the stroke of halftime. Even though a man short, the South Africas drove resolutely from a lineout to within close distance of the try-line before Du Preez popped a short pass out to JP Pietersen, who had come in off his wing, and there was no stopping the big No 14 from close range.

The huge contingent of Scots found their voice early in the second half when their team had a purple patch on the scoreboard. Greig Laidlaw added to his first-half penalty and then there was an effective 14-point turnaround when Duncan Weir intercepted on his 22 with the Boks’ backline in full flight, and wing Tommy Seymour ended up scoring at the other end of the field.

It was suddenly 20-13 but Pollard steadied the ship with a coolly taken drop goal and the Boks were 10 points clear again at 23-13.

And then the last thing the Scots needed was for skipper and scrumhalf Laidlaw to be binned for tackling Bok left wing Bryan Habana without the ball. In that time, Weir kicked two penalties and Pollard his third and fourth.

As was the case last week against Samoa, Habana had the final say, the veteran No 11 forcing his way over for his 61st Test

 

South Africa (20) 34

Scotland (3) 16

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