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It hasn’t been an easy road for Springboks supporters over the past year. In fact, it has been a tumultuous run for the past few years to say the least.
The last time South Africa had true ascendancy in world rugby was 2009, which saw them achieve a series win against the British and Irish Lions, a Tri-Nations title, as well as a record three consecutive victories against the All Blacks.
Since then it has been a rollercoaster ride for supporters, featuring media gaffes by coach Pieter de Villiers, a crushing quarter-final exit in 2011 and the embers of hope under new coach Heyneke Meyer.
As fellow contributor Biltongbek recently wrote, the first three years under Meyer’s tenure were positive. South Africa went undefeated in the northern hemisphere and were competitive in the Rugby Championship, yielding a 75 per cent win record under the new coach.
Unfortunately, this success came with a caveat; several veteran players returned to the Springboks fold. Jean de Villiers was backed as captain and Victor Matfield was called out of retirement. The house of cards came tumbling down in 2014 during the end-of-year tour when we were outwitted by Ireland and outplayed by Wales.
Hopes of a clean slate this year were dashed during the abbreviated Rugby Championship with a devastating last-minute loss against the Wallabies and yet another defeat against the All Blacks at home, all this in spite of comprehensive and dominant displays in the first 70 minutes of both matches.
In fact, the margins in these losses came down to blades of grass, falling in favour of Tevita Kuridrani and narrowly evading Lood de Jager against the All Blacks.
The following defeat in Durban at the hands of the Argentinians signalled a tailspin for the Springboks, and the subsequent victory in Buenos Aires did little to inspire confidence in this side. Reference to the historic loss against Japan does not need to be made. The only positive from that loss was that my low expectations for the Boks were further tempered.
The quarter-final match against Wales was a bipolar affair. The first five minutes saw Wales botch a certain try, however the Boks successfully absorbed the pressure of a sustained Wales attack. Handre Pollard delivered a flawless kicking display during the first half, while Dan Biggar’s pre-kick theatrics kept Wales ticking along on the scoreboard.
Biggar also delivered a fine piece of individual brilliance with a well hoisted up-and-under which he gathered himself to allow Gareth Davies to score. Both sides looked evenly matched during the first half, and a crucial drop goal from Biggar saw Wales lead 13-12 at half-time.
The second half was a similarly scrappy affair. Poor handling from the Boks marred several promising incursions into Welsh territory, and I had a sense of quarter-final deja-vu when I realised we were dominating territory and possession but not converting them to points.
Eddie Jones mentioned before the game that the Welsh could beat the Boks by keeping ball in-hand and trying to run them ragged. In fact, it seemed like the Boks were doing this to themselves. Instead of clearing the ball from our 22 to relieve pressure, more than once we opted to try and run from the ball from that precarious position.
This put us under immense pressure and gifted Wales a few penalties. Frustratingly, outside of our own 22 we showed a hesitancy to spread the ball wide, instead opting to kick for territory and doing it poorly.
One passage of play saw JP Pietersen expertly compete for the high ball, wrench away possession from the opponent and secure possession for the Boks. This was rewarded with an aimless kick by Willie le Roux straight down the middle. I was left swearing, scratching my head and pleading in vain with the television.
I don’t think Jesse Kriel touched the ball once during this match. On attack our wings were absent. Damian de Allende was outstanding, however his metres gained and defenders beaten did not translate to much, as the following plays were predicable pick-and-go motions among the forwards.
Also concerning was our lack of ball control during crucial stages of attack. The Welsh did very well to strip ball from the big Boks forwards, constantly getting themselves back into this game despite relentless assaults by the South Africans. There was one point during the second half where even the calm Fourie du Preez looked shellshocked, surveying left and right without a clear idea of how to proceed.
In the end we bested the Welsh with a brilliant set piece play by Duane Vermeulen and captain du Preez. Heyneke Meyer mentioned after the match that he had seen the two practice this move during the week, and in the 75th minute the Boks No.8 broke away from the scrum on the blind side, bumping a Welshman, drawing in a wing and expertly offloading behind the back to his captain who was coming at pace.
Du Preez may be advanced in his age but he turned on the gas for this run and secured a victory for his country.
Standout players included Frans Malherbe, who impressed in the scrums and general play, as well as our dynamic lock duo Eben Etzebeth and de Jager. Schalk Burger was industrious and hungry, while Vermeulen delivered a vintage performance of braun and dominance.
Du Preez was a field marshall, but he would do well to play more rugby and complain less as referee Wayne Barnes pointed out when he scolded, “Stop yelling and play rugby”. The backline was largely absent apart from de Allende, who defended like a demon and attacked brilliantly, often beating the first defender and requiring multiple opponents to bring him down.
I have concerns about the form of le Roux. I believe he is a key element to our attack when we do decide to actually play with ball in-hand. However, against the Welsh he kicked poorly and competed woefully in the air, gifting Biggar a try. Zane Kirchener is not the answer, and I would opt to start Patrick Lambie at fullback next weekend.
Conversely, the All Blacks left no doubt as to their standing in this tournament with a comprehensive dismantling of a hapless French outfit. Much was said about New Zealand’s lack of form during the pool stages, however any critics have now been silenced. The scoreline is a record for a World Cup quarter-final and reflected on their absolute dominance throughout this match.
Initially, it appeared as though France were up to the task. Unfortunately, with a charge down of Frederic Michalak’s clearance kick the deluge of tries started and did not cease. Dan Carter was mercurial, kicking accurately, passing crisply and challenging the gainline.
The most impressive aspect of New Zealand’s play was not that they pulled a rabbit out of the hat, or had a gameplan from left field. This was a clinic in basic rugby played masterfully.
Straight, hard running lines combined with well-timed passes cut the French defence into ribbons. Just watching them cycle the ball through hands is a marvellous sight. The Kiwis haven’t reinvented the wheel- they’ve merely perfected it. They compete intelligently at the breakdown, committing defenders when they see a chance and hold off when they need to.
Credit to them for an outstanding performance, especially Julian Savea who scored a hat-trick. I would, however, like to highlight the woeful performances of the French wings. I don’t know much about northern hemisphere rugby and am not familiar with these two, but Savea’s opposite number was left wanting a number of times.
I know he is one of the hardest men in rugby to tackle, but repeatedly attempting shoulder high tackles with your head on the wrong side is not going to make your day at the office any easier.
So here we are, a semi-final for rugby fanatics to savour.
The old enemies are once again facing each other in knockout rugby. In one corner, the world’s undisputed champions who just embarrassed a top tier nation. In the other, a team coming off their worst year in recent memory, scraping into the semis past a battered Welsh side.
Let’s get ready to rumble.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.