From the bizarre to the brilliant.
It all belonged to the Springboks in Durban last night, as South Africa hammered Argentina 67-30.
The hosts led 25-23 at half-time, and the nine tries to three demolition meant that a Boks win against Argentina at Twickenham next Saturday would make them the first Boks to defend the Castle Rugby Championship title, won a year ago when they also obliterated the Pumas in Mbombela.
A year ago, it was 48-7, and while this season’s last home win was as emphatic on the scoreboard, there was no early indicator of the exhibition that would unfold in the second half. The first 30 minutes were the most ordinary both teams have played all tournament. And then the match exploded.
The brilliance was from Boks flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. The bizarre, if only for a moment, had come from arguably the world’s best player, Cheslin Kolbe, when he gifted Argentina their first try.
We wanted to produce something special in our last game. We knew how tough Argentina would be, and they were in the first-half. It was a difficult start but we got the result.
— Siya Kolisi, Springboks captain
Kolbe dotted down the most innocuous of kicks for a drop out, and then drop kicked it to no one five metres from the Boks tryline for Argentina to pounce on it and score.
It was the most bizarre of acts, but a minute later Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced the most magical of moments, in kicking for a 50/22, chasing his own kick, outsprinting everyone and scoring.
Within two minutes, a Test match that had been a no-show turned into a carnival.
The opening 30 minutes were laboured and testing on the eyes, as both teams played with conservatism and caution. It was, to lean on the heaviest of clichés, two big boys refusing to throw a punch, perhaps out of respect but possibly even out of fear of giving away a freebie.
Firelighter to the match
Then Kolbe did just that. He presented the Pumas with a gift seven pointer, but it would prove to be the firelighter to this match.
So often Kolbe’s brilliance has ignited a Springboks Test match and a victory. On this occasion, it was a moment of self-destruction that awoke the continued defence of the Rugby Championship title holders.
The moment was almost matched by another of the Boks mercurial players, Damian Willemse, when he walked a line kick into touch on his goal line, thinking the referee was going to go back for a penalty advantage to the Pumas.
What followed was a penalty try from a lineout, a yellow card to Malcolm Marx and an unexpected 23-18 Pumas lead on 81 minutes.
Referee Angus Gardner insisted on the restart, the Boks won back the kick-off and a few phases later Feinberg-Mngomezulu stepped past the Pumas defence, scored and converted to give the Boks a 25-23 half-time advantage.
What was a non-event, in discussion, for 33 minutes, became the most talked about next seven minutes as three tries were scored.
Sacha's brilliance
The restart was as electric as the final stanza in the first half and, again, it was Feinberg-Mngomezulu at the heart of a cross-kick brilliance, for Kolbe to do the finishing.
Pieter-Steph du Toit was strong in the build-up, so too was Jasper Wiese, but it was the generational talent of Feinberg-Mngomezulu, whose hypnotic kicking skills, found Kolbe, whose catch and score was of the highest quality.
The Boks, having stuttered to a 11-9 lead on 34 minutes, were 32-23 ahead on 43 minutes.
Those 11 minutes, eight before the half-time whistle and three post the restart, were breathtaking.
A heavyweight contest that was a grind was transformed into rugby grandeur.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a wizard with ball in hand, but his season has been disrupted by injury. In Durban he survived every tackle made on him and showed a global audience why everyone in South Africa raves about his ability.
Within 51 minutes he had scored three tries and kicked at 80%. He was phenomenal.
It was 39-30 in the 53rd minute to the Boks and 46-30 in the 60th minute. By 66 minutes the Boks had scored 53 points and Feinberg-Mngomezulu had 33. On 75 minutes it was 60 points to the Boks and Feinberg-Mngomezulu had equalled Percy Montgomery’s record of 35 points in a Test match.
Sacha breaks record
By the 80th minute it was nine tries to the Boks, 67 points and Feinberg-Mngomezulu had broken Montgomery’s record with 37 points in a Test match.
“We just wanted to play good rugby, playing transitional scenarios, and we did well to keep the balance of kicking and running,” said the Player of the Match Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “It was a great way for the team to finish the home Test series."
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi echoed the sentiments of his No 10 match-winner.
“We wanted to produce something special in our last game. We knew how tough Argentina would be, and they were in the first half. It was a difficult start but we got the result. The job is not finished yet. There is one more to go. Thank you Durban. Thank you South Africa for your support,” he said .
"If you are in London, get to Twickenham next Saturday. Come out in numbers. We are nothing without you."
What a Test and what a night of the bizarre, but mostly the brilliant.
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