The Springboks produced their best performance down under in more than a decade as they opened their Castle Lager Rugby Championship on a high note with a 33-7 win over a poor Wallabies side in Brisbane on Saturday.
But while it was impressive and powerful, dominant in every aspect, it was far from perfect as the Boks conceded three late yellow cards to allow Australia onto the scoreboard late in the game and left at least four tries out on the field.
Kurt-Lee 'The Silent Assassin' Arendse 😤⭐
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 10, 2024
How good is that step by Jesse Kriel though? 🤯
📺 Stream #TRC2024 live: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/u3RKZ7K4HM
Even though the Boks discipline late in the game wasn’t good enough, one thing is clear. The Springboks may be back to back World Cup holders, but they are getting better. The inclusion of players such as Elrigh Louw, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Ben-Jason Dixon have only strengthened them.
For the first time in decades there is a real belief that the Boks can become that team they have always dreamed of - a team that dominates between World Cups. In essence, only the All Blacks have ever achieved this, but there is a real sense that this Bok team can move into a different league.
Of course, we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Australian rugby is in shambles, despite their wins over an equally poor Welsh side in July. Australia are currently sandwiched between Italy and Fiji in ninth on the World Rankings.
And in this regard, the scoreline mirrors what we would expect from a top ranked team against No 9.
The #Springboks displayed power, class and experience to put Australia to the sword with a 33-7 victory in Brisbane - match report: https://t.co/SUb6c4NOYL ⚔#ForeverGreenForeverGold #AUSvRSA pic.twitter.com/ganDhuXBuT
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 10, 2024
REAL MENTAL SCARS IN BRISBANE
But that would be too simplistic. There are very real mental scars from previous Bok tours to Australia and the fact the Boks have only won three times before in Brisbane, makes this win all the more special.
While it wasn’t perfect, it was an indication that mentally this is a far tougher Bok team than before. The wealth of experience and youthful exuberance has been moulded very well and even the loss of both RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje before the game didn’t phase the team as they reshuffled and still dominated up front.
And it wasn’t as if there weren’t a few talking points. Andrew Kellaway dropped Cobus Reinach on his head after lifting him in a tackle and got just a yellow card. Given that the Boks received yellow cards for a deliberate knock down (Jesse Kriel) and repeated infringements (Marco van Staden), it makes a bit of a mockery of the bunker system if the two are equated as the same. Not to mention if we even remember Nic White’s Oscar performance after being tapped by Faf de Klerk two years ago that also received a yellow.
The fact that the card went to the bunker and didn’t return a red shows that rugby still has a very long way to go before head contact is taken seriously. If dropping a player on his head, however slight, is not seen as a tough sanction, then it makes the rest of the argument rather invalid. And that is especially true when the Rugby Championship is trying out the 20-minute Red card trial.
BRUTAL SCRUM
On Saturday night in Brisbane the win was built on several platforms that would make every Springbok fan smile. The scrum was brutal in its execution and no matter what the Wallabies tried, they couldn’t get any parity. The fact that the number of scrums that went without the Boks winning a penalty was less than the penalties won just underlines the dominance.
Add to that a defensive wall that was on point and far more accurate than in the Ireland series. It is true that Australia didn’t ask as many questions as Ireland did, but Jerry Flannery will be crowing afterwards about stopping the Aussies for 75 minutes before the numerical advantage finally let them in.
But in the end it was the attack that continued to develop and got the Boks their bonus point from the game. While still in its infancy the incredible hard work done under Tony Brown is starting to pay off. And while much tougher tests will come against the All Blacks, the Boks are looking more and more confident to play at pace, and from any part of the field.
FEINBERG-MNGOMEZULU A SUCCESS
The introduction of Feinberg-Mngomezulu was an undoubted success - even though his first penalty kick was a horrible shank - he settled in and was exceptional on attack, behind a dominant pack. The move to bring Handre Pollard on at 12 in the second half may be a glimpse of what the future holds, as it certainly looked exciting on attack.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu beat three defenders - including a line-break that almost led to a try early in the first half, made 12 tackles and won a turnover, all with the realisation that he can and will get better.
There were so many others that played their part, but Jesse Kriel’s defensive shape and metres on attack did not go unnoticed, as did Dixon’s incredible workrate and Louw’s 11 carries. Pieter-Steph du Toit was in a different role, but his 13 tackles were dwarfed by the 19 made by Dixon in the game.
The game showed even more aspects as well - innovation that we’ve come to expect from the so-called Rassieball. From Cheslin Kolbe doubling up as hooker at the lineouts and scrumhalf at the setpiece, to a lineout move that brought the first try that would be replayed by every team in world rugby again and again.
The move, which went to the back to Dixon’s pod, then flipped it back inside to a second pod where Eben Etzebeth rose to take, screwing as he came down for Siya Kolisi to drive at the back of a makeshift maul to score the first try - and that was just nine minutes in.
While the Boks hardly moved into their own half in the first 40 minutes, they left tries on the table. Willie le Roux was inches away from scoring from a grubber from a kick through and Kurt-Lee Arendse came close as well.
ARENDSE MAGIC
Du Toit finished off an insanely good move after running straight after eight brutal phases as Feinberg-Mngomezulu bulleted the pass into his hands for the second try
After Kellaway left the field, the Boks continued to press hard on the tryline, but almost fluffed what looked to be a simple try as Dixon took the ball close. Luckily Kurt-Lee Arendse threaded his way through the smallest of defensive holes to flummox the entire Aussie pack and run through untouched for his first of two tries.
Kurt-Lee 'The Silent Assassin' Arendse 😤⭐
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 10, 2024
How good is that step by Jesse Kriel though? 🤯
📺 Stream #TRC2024 live: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/u3RKZ7K4HM
Australia had a much better opening quarter of the second half, winning ground and looking a bit more settled. But time and again the Bok defence stopped them, with a number of key turnovers coming from the likes of Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp and others to keep them away from the Bok line.
Almost as if on cue, and with the arrival of the majority of the bomb squad, the Boks surprised by breaking early from a five metre scrum, and were left smiling as quick ball from Grant Williams put Kwagga Smith in around the corner and next to the posts.
TRY OF THE NIGHT
The try of the night would come two minutes later, as Kriel broke through the midfield and ran 30 metres before seeing Arendse out of the corner of his eye and sending a long pass to the sideline for the flying winger to add another to his tally of tries.
Malcolm Marx was dispatched for head contact in a tackle where both players were bent at the hips, while Van Staden followed shortly afterwards for a soft moment when he was caught not rolling away fast enough. Kriel also was carded, mistiming an intercept as the Boks played the last 13 minutes with 13 men and will know that after two yellows against Portugal, they need to get their discipline much better.
But even with those work-ons, and a lot more work to do on attack by the team before the All Black back to back tests, this was a night to celebrate.
Winning in a place that Bok teams have suffered so much in the past, no matter how strong the opposition are, is a rare feat. And the Boks have buried another ghost.
And they are only going to get better.
SCORERS
South Africa - tries: Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse (2), Kwagga Smith. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (4).
Australia - try: Hunter Paisami. Conversion: Tom Lynagh.