Bok pace, power clinch series win

The Welsh were as resilient as they always are, but the world champion Springboks brought the right mix to their game as they powered to a 30-14 win in front of a packed DHL Stadium in the deciding game of the Castle Lager Series on Saturday.

They continued what the alternative team started before blowing it in the final quarter of an hour at Toyota Stadium, with the Boks mixing their power and pace superbly to keep Wales under pressure for most of a game where they were never ahead.

Centurion Eben Etzebeth was given a rousing welcome by the Cape Town crowd and repaid it with a man of the match performance in a dominant Bok pack.

Behind the forwards, scrum half Jaden Hendrikse scotched any theories that he was selected just to unleash a box kicking assault on Wales.

He was decisive and his passing was pinpoint. Not that the Boks completely eschewed the contestable kicking game, they just brought a better mix and got it point perfect when they did do it, with Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe both winning early aerial battles, and Willemse almost slipping away from the Welsh defence to score what would have been a spectacular try.

Kolbe didn’t last the game as he was helped from the field before half-time looking a little groggy, but Willemse is growing into an accomplished international player as he continues to build on the confidence he gained playing for the victorious Stormers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

Reshuffle

When Kolbe went off it necessitated a reshuffle, with Willemse moving to inside centre and Lukhanyo Am shifting out to the wing.

There were occasions when the Welsh created space out wide too easily for comfort, but the configuration worked for the Boks, with Willie le Roux, who came on at full back to replace Kolbe, producing a stellar performance.

Playing him and Willemse together in the same backline does appear to work and the pair continued what they did so well when they saved the Boks from potential disaster in the second half of the first test at Loftus.

On that occasion, Willemse moved to fly half; this time he was in the position he plays most often for the Stormers and his versatility shone through under the stadium lights.

The Boks dominated possession and territory through the 80 minutes, with just Wales’ organised and determined defence, plus their simple refusal to die, preventing the hosts from running up a bigger score.

Indeed, full marks for the Welsh for keeping it close for much of the way, and for keeping on crawling back into the game just when it looked like they might be a spent force.

Trend started early

That trend started early on when they fought back from a 10-point deficit towards the end of the first quarter. The Boks started in a ferocious manner, and nearly had a try in the opening two minutes.

A penalty forced soon after the kick-off was kicked by fly half Handre Pollard to the touchline. Etzebeth secured the line-out ball, Bongi Mbonambi held it momentarily at the back of the maul, and then the ball was run to the right.

The switch of direction to the left saw the ball kicked into the corner for Makazole Mapimpi to grab and go over in the corner.

Alas for the South Africans, the replay showed that Mapimpi put his foot into touch before going over, and his Sharks teammate Am was denied a try in the second half for what looked a marginal forward pass.

Referee Matthew Carley was playing penalty advantage when Mapimpi crossed, so back they came for a kick in front of the posts and Pollard duly made it 3-0.

No let-up

There was no let-up from the Boks, and Damian de Allende was just millimetres short when he burrowed towards the line.

Again it was try denied, but that did not deter Siya Kolisi’s team, and after a series of scrum penalties, it was Pollard who forced his way over for the first Bok try.

The conversion made it 10-0 after 13 minutes and at that point it looked like the Boks might run away with it. That did not happen as Wales retained their ability to make most of their opportunities, and off their first attack of the game, they built up for a try to flanker Tommy Reffell after 18 minutes to cut the deficit to five points.

Wales did look more settled in the second quarter than they were in the opening one, and it was when Biggar closed the gap to two points with a penalty that horrible visions of a repeat of the previous week might have started to course the through veins of the home supporters.