Hits & Misses: Boks' scrum statement and Roigard's theatre play

OPINION: The Springboks simply had to win the third Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series to have a shot at winning the series.

And they did that in fantastic fashion as they claimed a 29-24 victory at FNB Stadium on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead.

The match was always going to be a tension-filled encounter given everything that was put out in the media after the second Test and the reactions to those messages, and while both teams went out hoping to give their biggest response on the field, the Springboks were the ones who did exactly that.

With no shortage of talking points emerging from the match, we look at some of the biggest highs and lows from the Test at the Calabash.

Hits:

Bok scrum doing the talking

The Springboks were no doubt the scrum champions throughout the game, but the biggest scorecard came just before the break when they utterly pulverised the All Blacks with a shove that showed just why Wilco Louw is the gold standard when it comes to tightheads.

After the South Africans made statement upon statement against New Zealand’s front row, Dave Rennie’s fresh front-row brought him no reprieve.

Instead, the Boks continued stamping down their authority at the set-piece, particularly with the masterful way in which they scored that 65th-minute try through Malcolm Marx after a superb scrum progressed into an otherworldly maul.

In the build-up to the Test, loosehead George Bower confidently said, “We’ll see who does the talking” when they pack down for the first shove at FNB Stadium.

Well, the Springboks sure shut them and their wobbly scrum up. Hopefully for good this time.

Springboks overcoming “incredibly fit” All Blacks’ late poison with potent antidote

The All Blacks were set on using altitude to their advantage, with Anton-Lienert Brown saying they’re an “incredibly fit team looking forward to going back up there”.

Nobody can argue the New Zealanders’ fitness and ability to keep coming and sink teams in the final quarter, but they should have perhaps remained quietly confident heading into the third clash.

The Boks were under immense pressure after losing the opening Test, and while the series was drawn going into this one, having a goal of winning three in a row after losing the opener as opposed to just winning two more (as was the case with the All Blacks) is a far less daunting task.

Add in the fact that South Africa had lost their previous two games to New Zealand at FNB Stadium and their overall poorer success rate at the Highveld compared to their rivals, and the task became even taller.

But man, did the Springboks show up for the occasion.

They would certainly have been forgiven if they had opted to play it safe given the stakes, but they brought the intensity to such an extent that their biggest challenge would be maintaining it against the tempo-and-intensity-obsessed New Zealanders.

And what a second half of rugby they delivered.

Their core strengths were a sight to behold – their scrum was dominance on repeat, their maul was a thing of beauty, the breakdown was a statement in itself.

Their aerial game was another first-class display, with man-of-the-match Ethan Hooker the star of the show as he chased and contested like a man possessed.

He was outstanding overall with the way he read the game, his productions with ball in hand, on the ground, and the intelligence with which he executed everything showed his class.

Overall, the Boks mixed physicality, speed, and attack to devastating effect.

Both sides made mistakes, and the All Blacks were brilliant on attack as they continuously looked to sneak opportunities out wide, but the hosts’ defence – particularly their scramble defence – limited the opposition’s damage.

The series will only reach its conclusion next weekend in the USA, but the importance of having boarded that charter with a 2-1 lead cannot be underestimated.

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King Kolisi’s historic captaincy moment

The influence and presence that Siya Kolisi brings is remarkable, and officially becoming the most successful Springbok captain with 55 Test victories, a milestone he reached against New Zealand, no less, was a sprinkle of magic in what has been a fairytale career until now.

His passion is palpable, contagious even, and the immense presence of his captaincy sometimes has us overlooking his physical abilities.

At times in his career, he has been painted as a great leader despite his form, but this season, even though he has not racked up massive minutes, his iconic leadership has been well supplemented by on-field impact. He emptied the tank in the almost three quarters he was on the field.

There is no man more fitting to lead the Boks into uncharted territory in the final, decisive Test.

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Misses:

Roigard’s rotten acting

Nigel Owens should tell Cam Roigard “this is not soccer”.

While rugby’s traditional culture may be shifting in certain regards, the thing that still makes the sport different is its pillars built on respect and integrity.

Roigard was an absolute embarrassment in that regard at FNB Stadium.

After being awarded a penalty try late in the opening half, the All Black scrumhalf held onto Cobus Reinach, who then flipped his opposite number off him.

Roigard landed on the ground and, despite his head not making contact with the ground, he dramatically clutched his head.

Theatrics like that should have no place in rugby.

All Blacks’ side entries

There’s probably not a helluva lot to highlight here. After all, it’s not like it’s a new thing. Nevertheless, it was good to see the law being enforced on the All Blacks for their side entries at rucks.

While skipper Ardie Savea himself was penalised for a brazen side entry, their breakdown issues intensified once he left the field injured as South Africa continued to pile on the pressure.

From Marx to Hooker, the Boks had threats on the ground all round. It has been a strength for them in this series, and there’s no reason to believe it will change anytime soon.