The Springboks are back to No 1 in the world rankings and No 1 in South African hearts after the historic record-breaking win against the All Blacks in Wellington, New Zealand, yesterday.
This was/is epic. Take a moment, breathe, look to the heavens, and scream absolute joy.
In the history of rivalries between the two rugby nations — who have won seven of the 10 World Cup titles — there has never been as emphatic a result for the Springboks.
No team has ever scored 40-plus points against the All Blacks in New Zealand. The Boks did it. These back-to-back World Cup winners have done everything.
Boks coach Rassie Erasmus trusted an experienced pack, and the most youthful backline, to restore order after the disappointment of the 24-17 defeat at Eden Park, to win 43-10 in Wellington after trailing 10-7 at half-time.
The Boks scored six tries to one, and had a try ruled out in the 11th minute when it should have been a yellow card to New Zealand, and a penalty, possibly a penalty try to the Boks, for a cynical New Zealand infringement at the breakdown.
The Boks were superb in controlling territory in the opening half, with an unprecedented 75% dominance, but they trailed at the break because of handling errors (12 to New Zealand’s four), and an indifference with the ball in hand.
Possession favoured the All Blacks 53% to 47% in that opening half, but the Boks were in control of the real estate options. They knew where they wanted to play this game, and it was not in their own half.
The greatest irony of this Test is that the Boks, having so much territorial advantage in the first quarter, scored from a great Cheslin Kolbe defensive read, 25m from the tryline, to level the scores at seven-all.
Field position is gold in Test rugby, and replacement flyhalf Manie Libbok read the mood to perfection, and executed his kicking-game to perfection. His aerial kicking game was a masterclass in giving his chasers an advantage with the weight and height on the kick.
Kolbe and the impressive Ethan Hooker, at left-wing, profited and turned Libbok’s kicks into attacking weapons.
The Bok pack was strong in the first half, but it took the introduction of the incomparable scrumming king Wilco Louw on 41 minutes, to turn scrum strength into a superpower.
Louw won the Boks a penalty on his first scrum engagement in the 42nd minute and, thereafter, the Boks scrum was always in control.
The Boks lineout was consistent, through Malcolm Marx and Marnus van der Merwe. Lock Ruan Nortjie was the unsung hero in the pack and, among the backs, Damian Willemse was voted player of the match for an outstanding effort at No 12.
Willemse lauded his teammates, the coaching staff, and a week he said was dominated by the fact that Eden Park was an opportunity lost for the Springboks to create history.
Milk spilt in Auckland was milk drunk in Wellington. “The boys stepped up,” he said.
“We had a positive mindset. We knew where we went wrong at Eden Park, and we were much more clinical this week. Credit to the boys working the laptops all week and the coaches.”
Erasmus described the win as massive for the Springboks. “We had a lot of injuries, a lot of concussions, and we just had to make some plans. And we did. The talk all week was to be fearless, and the boys were fearless.”
Erasmus refused to talk about a changing of the guard in relation to the newbies embarrassing the All Blacks when the senior citizens lost a week ago. “We are a group of 45 players, and it takes a group of 45 to get this kind of result. We have massive respect for the All Blacks and the challenge of winning in New Zealand, but we are a special country with special supporters. I know we made them proud today.”
The difference between a week ago was the positive start from the Springboks and, while there was no scoreboard reward, the intent was always going to bring reward.
No Test is won if the set piece is not strong, and the Boks, over the 80 minutes, were always stronger than New Zealand as a collective, from those playing in Nos 1-8, whether starters or finishers.
Libbok, on for the concussed Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, revelled in the occasion, as much as he did when the Boks beat the All Blacks 35-7 at Twickenham in 2023.
Individually, there were so many stand-out players for the Boks, but to Willemse’s pearls of wisdom, this was a collective.
Erasmus’s Boks have now beaten the All Blacks in five of their last six Tests, in London, Paris, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Wellington.
This is why they are the No 1 team in the world.
