For the second test in a row, Bismarck Du Plessis has smashed his obvious superiority over Smit into Peter de Villiers’ face, and again, I expect, he will go ignored. The only reasonable explanation is that de Villiers is a madman.
Those pointing to Smit’s leadership only have to look at one simple fact – while Smit was on the field, SA were losing while Wales were enjoying almost 70 percent of the possession and looking rampant.
Cue Bismarck, and suddenly SA can get their hands on the ball, make some progress across the gainline, and even go score a try.
He almost single-handedly shifted the momentum of the game with some timely steals at the breakdown, a game which SA was almost certainly going to lose.
“Leadership” is more than being able to smile at the press and look like a school prefect, it’s about picking your team up out of the mire, and kicking a hole in the wall for them to follow through, and in that sense, Bismarck is twice the leader Smit is.
Wales’ dominance at the breakdown should be concerning to the Boks, but I think it came down to two notable ommissions – Bakkies and Bismarck.
SA lacked mongrel, left to rely almost solely on Schalk Burger, who could not compete alone against the massive numbers Wales launched into every breakdown. Without his pack providing forward momentum, Brussow’s ability to even get to the ball, let alone steal it, were severely limited.
When Bismarck and Willem Alberts appeared, the tide turned – most crucially in an epic counter-ruck to steal Wales ball when they were marching onwards towards the Bok tryline yet again. That shifted the momentum of the match, and rattled Wales self-believe.
So the answer moving forward seems obvious – with Bakkies injured, it is even more essential to include some other vicious beasts in the starting line. Sorry Spies and Smit – it’s the bench for you. Bismarck and Alberts must start against Samoa, and in the knock-out games.
Brussow and Burger were awesome, but they can’t be expected to take on eight men. They need some brutal back-up, especially against Samoa, who monstered the Aussies at the breakdown.
And a final word about Wales – their play at the breakdown was special.
Warburton is a major find, but the other forwards really got stuck in and dominated the collisions, often through sheer numbers. Had their backs been equally effective, Wales would have won with ease. Based on performances in the first round, Wales is certainly the Six Nations team to watch, though they’ll face a tricky path from here on out.
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