Tank Lanning
If the Springboks were to be rated for “Bouncebackability” they would have to get 10 out of 10. What a superb way to come back from the abomination that was the loss against Japan in Brighton!
Coach Heyneke Meyer very publicly asked the senior players to put up their hands and they did. Including those like Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez and Duane Vermeulen, who are all recovering from serious injury.
Back to basics via a good kicking game, the driving maul came out, the defence was industrial, and the Boks put their bodies on the line. “One of the most pleasing things for me,” said Meyer, “And the purists will probably agree, was how great it was to see a green pack of forwards going forward – the first time in a while.”
If looking for a negative, one could probably single out the scrum, where warhorse Jannie du Plessis did not have his finest outing. But the silver lining is that it all changed when Frans Malherbe got onto the park. What a joy to have a proper tighthead on the bench rather than a re-treaded loosehead.
How I rated the Boks against Samoa:
Willie le Roux – 8.5
JP Pietersen – 9.2
Jean de Villiers – 7.5
Damian De Allende – 9
Bryan Habana – 8.5
Handré Pollard – 8.5
Fourie du Preez – 9
Duane Vermeulen – 7
Schalk Burger – 8
Francois Louw – 7.5
Victor Matfield – 8
Eben Etzebeth – 8
Jannie du Plessis – 4
Adriaan Strauss – 8
Tendai Mtawarira – 6.5
Bench:
Schalk Brits – 8
Trevor Nyakane – 7.5
Frans Malherbe – 8
Lodewyk de Jager – 8.5
Siya Kolisi – 7
Ruan Pienaar – 7
Pat Lambie – 7
Jesse Kriel – 7
Coach:
Heyneke Meyer – 8
Referee:
Wayne Barnes – 8
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