The Springboks were urged to play the game in the way that attracted them to the sport.
They did against Italy. SA delighted as the Boks romped home 63-21 in Genoa on Saturday.
It was a nine-try romp in which the Boks initially used the slow poison of their forwards before running amok with unrestrained, almost uncharacteristic interplay in the second half.
“That is what Jacques (Nienaber, the Bok coach) and Rassie (Erasmus, director of rugby) told us: ‘Get to the place that made you start playing rugby.’
“We want to score tries, run with the ball and offload,” said captain Siya Kolisi.
That is exactly what the Boks did, but first they earned the right to do so by gradually softening the Italians up-front. In their last clash in Shizuoka during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the Springbok forwards pummelled the Azzurri into submission.
They then exacted a huge physical toll on the opposition that partly led to uncontested scrums. Again the Boks got significant traction from the scrum, and they bossed the collisions that eventually helped create gaps.
“As South Africans, we enjoy the physical part of the game,” reminded Kolisi. “We want to bring that balance and bring it all together, and I thought we did that well.
“We showed Italy the respect that they deserve. They’re a very different team to a few years ago,” said Kolisi, whose workmanlike qualities helped set the tone for the win.
“We knew we had to play to the best of our ability, and it was clear by how tight the first half was. We had to dig deep.”
Kolisi said the team was heading in the right direction, sentiments that were later echoed by teammates Kurt-Lee Arendse and Malcolm Marx.
Coach Jacques Nienaber also confirmed the team is heading north, and not just in the geographical sense, this week.
“We certainly all want to see the team moving forward in this direction,” said Nienaber.
“We capitalised on the opportunities we created, but I don’t think it was a near perfect performance. We can always get better.”
One of the elements of their general makeup that can be improved, is the Springboks consistency. Bok fans have delighted almost as much as they’ve despaired this year.
“One good game isn’t good enough,” said Nienaber. “We need to get consistency. The challenge is when things don’t always go your way, to dig yourself out of it and try to get consistency.”
Next Saturday's clash against England will help provide answers to that question. England delivered a stirring second-half comeback to draw 25-all against the All Blacks. They will test the Boks in every department.
The Green and Gold will tackle the Red Roses without their England and France-based players. One of them is Cheslin Kolbe, who appeared to injure a hamstring in the act of scoring a gloriously individualistic try against Italy.
Wing partner Arendse also got on the score sheet with two tries as part of a standout performance.
“It was amazing to score and contribute to the team,” said Arendse, who added the Boks stuck to the plan they had for Italy.
“I’m proud of the guys. We said we need energy after the two losses. We brought that energy, and it paid off.”
About his own rapid rise, he added: “I can still learn. I will continue what I'm doing.”
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