VIDEO: Boks breeze past 'generous' Namibia
WORLD CUP MATCH REPORT: South Africa put their campaign back on track with a 57-3 demolition of a starstruck Namibia on Saturday.
South Africa got the five points that they expected but the result is not without consolation for Namibia as well.
After all they conceded 30 fewer points than they did in their previous World Cup encounter with the Springboks. If they continue to improve at this rate they would win eventually!
The men from north of the Orange River certainly played with determination.
Springboks felt the hits and it seemed that they unsettled them, for they conceded 12 scrums in the match to the Namibians’ three, not that the Namibian scrum could really stand up to the power of the Springbok pack.
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Right from the first scrum, Namibia suffered. They were pushed off that one and penalised at their next one as the Springbok eight again destroyed them.
The Springboks started slowly, got on the scoreboard through post-line-out mauls and then ended pretty fruitlessly with just one try in the last 20 minutes and that, too, from a post-line-out maul.
For the first time dressed in white jerseys with green shorts and white socks, the Springboks started like a house on fire.
Schalk Brits won the toss and chose the kickoff.
When Johan Tromp kicked to clear, Sibusiso Nkosi charged the kick down. Then fullback Warrick Gelant was tackled by Lesley Klim five metres from the goal-line, and then Schalk Brits was first awarded a try for grounding against an upright till the TMO detected a knock-on.
The first try came after 10 minutes when Lodewyk de Jager won a five-metre line-out and Mbongeni Mbonambi scored.
The second came five minutes later when De Jager won a five-metre line-out and this time Francois Louw scored.
The third came when De Jager won a five-metre line-out and Mbonambi scored his second try. That made it 19-0 after 19 minutes.
That third try came just after No.8 Adriaan Booysen had been sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, the fifth penalty conceded by Namibia, who had been warned that yellow card was in the offing.
When Tendai Mtawarira – and it was delightful to hear the throaty BEAST call in far-off Japan – was offside, Cliven Loubser score Namibia’s three points.
Three minutes later Gelant came into the line and Makazole Mapimpi used the overlap to score. 24-3 after 27 minutes. That was a bonus-point try.
The last one before half-time was the best of the Springbok tries as they raced down the right and then went far left where, after eight phases, Lukhanyo Am scored. 31-3, the half-time score.
Early in the second half, Namibia kicked a box kick, and the Springboks counterattacked with Am prominent till Gelant had an easy run to the line.
Then from a line-out, the Springboks went right to Brits who played inside to Mapimpi who raced away unimpeded for his second try.
Coach Rassie Erasmus empties his bench and players from the All Black match came on, including Siya Kolisi who scored the eighth try. That made the score 50-3 with 20 minutes to play.
The last try was true to formula – penalty, line-out, De Jager, maul try, though Brits added bit of variety by breaking away and darting over.
It was not an entertaining match.
It was too predictable, skills were lacking too often and there was little creativity.
Man of the Match: Lodewyk de Jager who did bestride the line-out like a colossus and was generally strongly involved.
Moment of the Match: Lukanyo Am’s try and the lead-up to it.
The scorers
For South Africa:
Tries: Mbonambi 2, Louw, Mapimpi 2, Am, Gelant, Kolisi, Brits
Cons: E Jantjies 6
For Namibia:
Pen: Loubser
Yellow cards: Adriaan Booysen (Namibia, 16 – cynical foul, deliberately slapping the ball down), Johannes Coetzee (Namibia, 63 – foul play; shoulder charge off the ball)
Teams
Namibia: 15 Johan Tromp, 14 Chad Plato, 13 Jacobus Greyling, 12 PJ Walters, 11 Lesley Klim, 10 Cliven Loubser, 9 Eugene Jantjies, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 7 Muharua Katjijeko, 6 Thomasau Forbes, 5 Tjiuee Uanivi (captain), 4 Johan Retief, 3 AJ De Klerk, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 1 Desiderius Sethie.
Replacements: 16 Obert Nortjé, 17 André Rademeyer, 18 Johannes Coetzee, 19 Prince Gaoseb, 20 Janco Venter, 21 Wian Conradie, 22 Helarius Kisting, 23 Johan Deysel.
South Africa: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Schalk Brits (captain), 7 Albertus Smith, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Rudolph Snyman, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Steven Kitshoff, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Eben Etzebeth, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Damian de Allende, 23 Cheslin Kolbe.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
