In an amazing turnaround, the Springboks have bounced back from what many are describing as the biggest upset in World Cup history to record an impressive 46-6 victory over Samoa in Birmingham to right what was looking like a ship listing badly to Port.
A quick look at the match stats that are broadcast live and in real time on the Vodacom Rugby App sees just how the men in Green and Gold did it – by going back to basics. All of Fourie du Preez, Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux kicked well (23 kicks from hand compared to the 14 from Samoa), the lineout was on song (the Boks poached 4 Samoan balls), and the driving maul was put to excellent suffocating effect.
And with 61% possession that saw the Boks enjoying 72% of the territory via said excellent kicking game, the hard hitting Samoans were basically squeezed out of the game by a Bok side quite clearly smarting from an abomination of a result the week before against Japan.
A look at all the match stats from the Vodacom Rugby App:
Points: SA 46-6 Samoa
Tries: SA 6-0 Samoa
Penalty tries: SA 0-0 Samoa
Penalty goals: SA 4-2 Samoa
Conversions: SA 2-0 Samoa
Drop goals: SA 0-0 Samoa
Missed penalty goals: SA 0-3 Samoa
Missed conversions: SA 4-0 Samoa
Possession: SA 61%-39% Samoa
Territory: SA 72%-28% Samoa
Carries: SA 151-82 Samoa
Clean breaks: SA 13-2 Samoa
Defenders beaten: SA 42-11 Samoa
Handling errors: SA 9-7 Samoa
Kicks caught: SA 22-6 Samoa
Kicks from hand: SA 23-14 Samoa
Knock ons: SA 7-5 Samoa
Lineouts won on own ball: SA 12-9 Samoa
Lineouts stolen: SA 4-0 Samoa
Loose ball collected: SA 20-22 Samoa
Metres run: SA 676-230 Samoa
Offloads: SA 12-9 Samoa
Passes: SA 180-95 Samoa
Penalties conceded: SA 15-11 Samoa
Red cards: SA 0-0 Samoa
Scrums won: SA 2-8 Samoa
Scrums lost: SA 0-0 Samoa
Tackles made: SA 86-160 Samoa
Tackles missed: SA 11-42 Samoa
Try assists: SA 4-0 Samoa
Turnovers won: SA 5-11 Samoa
Yellow cards: SA 0-0 Samoa
Key individual stats:
Willie le Roux: 10 kicks from hand, 95 metres run, 2 clean breaks, 8 carries, 17 passes
Bryan Habana: 126 metres run, 2 clean breaks, 11 carries, 5 defenders beaten
JP Pietersen: 3 tries, 77 metres run, 3 clean breaks, 7 carries
Damien de Allende: 31 metres run, 9 carries, 7 defenders beaten, 3 tackles, 1 missed tackle
Handre Pollard: 14 points, 3 missed conversions, 6 kicks from hand, 9 carries, 5 defenders beaten, 13 passes, 7 tackles, 2 missed tackles
Fourie du Preez: 6 kicks from hand, 9 carries, 78 passes, 2 offloads, 4 tackles
Eben Etzebeth: 2 penalties, 29 metres run, 14 carries, 3 offloads, 5 tackles, 1 lineout stolen
Victor Matfield: 2 penalties conceded, 1 carry, 5 tackles, 9 lineouts won on own throw, 2 lineouts stolen
Schalk Burger: 51 metres run, 14 carries, 3 defenders beaten, 14 passes, 9 tackles
Duane Vermeulen: 1 penalty; 47 metres run, 11 carries, 5 tackles
Francois Louw: 2 turnovers
Adriaan Strauss: 9 carries, 3 defenders beaten
All stats courtesy of the Vodacom Rugby App, which is available for download in all app stores. Download it now and feel like a coach during the match, and a know it all at the post match braai.
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