The Springboks ticked significant boxes as they edged closer to the Rugby World Cup with a resounding 52-16 victory over Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
They took a while to get going but when they did, the gulf in class against a much changed and inexperienced Wales team became all too apparent.
The Boks ran in seven tries and earned a penalty try in racking up their biggest score in Cardiff against Wales, comfortably surpassing the 34-12 win they recorded there in 2007, which was also the last game of the Jake White era. The Boks’ biggest win over Wales remains the 96-13 beating with which they slew the Dragons in Pretoria in 1998.
In their latest romp their checklist was easily populated. They successfully reincorporated injury players Siya Kolisi, Jaden Hendrikse and Ox Nché and provided them valuable gametime before they launch their defence of the World Cup.
The captain didn’t just come through the game unscathed, he delivered a performance full of energetic enterprise and he emptied the tank as was required in the first half.
The Boks scrummed and mauled with authority and their defence, though not tested to the limit, snuffed out the Dragons before they could take flight.
The visitors were also able to troubleshoot their way to a more rounded performance after some first half foibles, while refining key combinations that are likely to be deployed in knock-out as well as pool matches against Romania and Tonga.
Crucially, they also escaped further injury but perhaps most pleasing about an afternoon in the Cardiff sun was the manner in which more players stated their case for selection against New Zealand in London next week and their World Cup opener against Scotland in Marseille on September 10.
Apart from the aforementioned trio, who all contributed richly to the win, right-wing Canan Moodie again advanced his cause with another powerful performance, while on the other wing Cheslin Kolbe, despite taking an early knock, looked sharp and incisive.
Moodie though appears to be the man of the moment and appears in full possession of that sought after and priceless commodity in sport — momentum. He has made a compelling case for selection against Scotland.
Outside centre Jesse Kriel delivered one of his best performances in a Bok jersey, while fullback Willie le Roux and flyhalf Manie Libbok’s distribution skills provided greater potency and variety to the Bok attack.
I remember while doing a contact session I asked the guys to come at me a little bit softer. Pieter-Steph [du Toit] came to me and said: ‘Trust me, you’re fine.’
— Siya Kolisi
Le Roux is playing with greater assurance and that should be deeply comforting to the coaching staff. Such is his confidence, dispensing untimely advice to the match officials has now become part of his repertoire.
Up front Pieter-Steph du Toit is starting to purr in the way he did in 2019, RG Snyman brought dynamism to the second row, while all six front rankers on display scrummed with power and purpose.
“I’m happy for him,” said head coach Jacques Nienaber about Kolisi’s long-awaited successful comeback. “It took a lot of sacrifice from him and his family.”
Kolisi said it felt “amazing” after returning from a knee operation in April.
“I didn’t have any fear going into the game,” said the captain suggesting Bok training sessions helped steel him mentally and physically on the long path to recovery.
“I remember while doing a contact session I asked the guys to come at me a little bit softer,” Kolisi said. “Pieter-Steph [du Toit] came to me and said: ‘Trust me, you’re fine.’
“Those kinds of things you can’t buy — having guys who have come through things like that,” said Kolisi.
Nienaber was also pleased he could spread game time in his group. Snyman maximised his minutes. “We have been spreading the load. RG got a full 80. I’m not sure when last he did that.”
The Boks now travel to London where they will meet the All Blacks in their last warm-up match before crossing into France.
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