Penalty try or not - Boks had fire

 

Having been replaced with 20 minutes still to play, the Springbok tighthead witnessed the come-from-behind victory nervously from the bench.

 

"I am a hell of an emotional guy and I was praying out loud next to the field, I get a stomach ache when watching a match from that side," Du Plessis said.

 

"You have to commend the fire that stayed in their [the Springboks'] eyes.

 

"Whether it was a penalty try or not, I knew we would get a penalty or a lineout, so we would have had another chance."

 

Du Plessis was also impressed with the resolve shown by his teammates to chase victory until the last seconds of the encounter.

 

"Of course in sport there is an unknown factor called character," the prop added.

 

"You can't coach that, you can't simulate that in training, and you can't be a psychologist to put guys under pressure the way they were [under].

 

"It is a massive, massive victory for our own belief and we know we can win even though the chips are down."

 

Another player who was vital to the Boks late surge was No.8 Duane Vermeulen who was stunned by Wales in the opening exchanges.

 

"They were physically up there and definitely the top team on the night," Vermeulen said.

 

"It's good for team moral and spirit [to have had a close battle].

 

"The good fight from every guy in our squad … you've got to commend the guys that came off the bench and the spark the guys brought."