Time to savour the Boks
rugby365 columnist Steve Farrell pays tribute to South Africa’s superb showing against England and expects more of the same in 2009.
England must be licking their wounds – a slight adjustment to last week’s headline, but oh so apt as the Boks turned it on big time at Twickenham!
Well I got it all wrong didn’t I? After critisizing the Boks performances against Scotland and Wales last week, I’m glad to report that I have no gripes whatsoever on a rather cheerful Monday!
The Boks were simply outstanding on the weekend. The commitment showed by every single player on the pitch was quite incredible and was epitomised by Bakkies Botha hauling in Delon Armitage and JP Pietersen coming off his wing to finish off what Bakkies had started. This Bok team was on a serious mission on Saturday and passed with flying colours.
On the subject of Pietersen, the No 14 was my player of the tour. He showed that he has come on in leaps and bounds since the Super 14 and was committed as one could be throughout the three matches. His defence and willingness to look for work was refreshing and on Saturday he, along with his team-mates, saved his best performance for last.
Kudos must also go to Peter de Villiers, who has endured his fair share of criticism over the past year. His team were the first since 1997 to win all their games on their end-of-year tour and the ‘Twickers’ win was the biggest defeat England have received at their former fortress! The critics were expecting three wins at the beginning of the tour and they got three wins so you can’t argue with that. No matter how weak people perceive the likes of England and Scotland to be, playing over there and winning is not as easy as it looks. So instead of being pessimistic, lets savour the 42-6 thumping of the old enemy, because you won’t see a scoreline like that very often!
I have never seen such a courageous defensive effort from the Boks. They were aggressive in the tackle and used their ferocious defence as an attacking weapon. The question I have is why can’t the Boks play like that every week? It’s something that they need to work on going forward, because if they want to become the number one team in the world, they will need to reproduce Saturday’s performance on a more regular basis.
But the signs are there that they can and with the players at De Villiers’ disposable, this crop of Boks can go places. Saturday’s demolition of England would have given John Smit and his men a massive boost ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour in June next year. So much was said during the tour, from players and fans alike, that if the Boks were to beat all three UK sides, then they would be in a good frame of mind to avenge their 1997 series loss to the Lions. That they did in style and one can only be positive as we head in 2009.
Some might say that I have changed my tack completely and you’d probably be right. The Boks, by their lofty standards, did not have a great year. But they showed glimpses of what they’re capable of and if they can take the weekend’s performance into next year, then there is every reason to be optimistic about South African rugby.
I said last week that I’d like to see Jaque Fourie back in the No 13 jersey, despite Adi Jacobs having had a superb season. Well, what can I say? Jacobs vindicated his selection ahead of Fourie with yet another fantastic performance. His try was one of the best of the season and can be attributed to his uncanny ability of running into space. His angled runs have caused opposition numerous headaches this season and JP Pietersen’s wonderful offload to him was yet another example of his vision. It’s not often you see a try off first phase, so I was particularly chuffed with this one!
So many players gave their critics the two-fingered salute on Saturday. Bryan Habana shut me up with his best showing this year, whilst Ricky Januarie showed that he belongs on the international stage. Schalk Burger was once again colossal throughout the 80 minutes and showed why he is rated so highly.
Looking back on the season, there have been many star performers. Jean de Villiers and Adi Jacobs were arguably the best midfield combination in the world this year, and John Smit is without a shadow of a doubt, the most influential skipper on the planet. But we already knew that! If I had to single out one player, it has to be the Beast. The loosehead prop is extremely young by front row standards, but the 23-year-old has shown that he belongs at the highest level. His scrumming has improved ten-fold since he burst onto the scene for the Sharks, but it’s been his unbelievable workrate that has endeared him to Bok supporters throughout the country. Cries of ‘Beeeaaast’ are now a common occurrence throughout the world, showing just how much Bok fans appreciate this prodigious talent. His tackle count for a prop is outrageous and I suspect that the Beast has a long and prosperous future in the green and gold.
The Boks have ended their season on the perfect note and can now look forward to a bit of a holiday, before Super 14 training begins in ernest. 2008 has been a rough ride, with plenty happening on and off the field, but that is what makes Springbok rugby one of a kind! There is never a dull moment in South Afrian rugby…sometimes I just wish there was!
* Do you agree/disagree with Steve? It is your shout.
