Stroll in the Park for Boks
Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:05
Boks running wild: Adi Jacobs and Joe van Niekerk
South Africa overcame a slow start to score a record 63-9 win over Argentina in their Mandela tribute Test in Johannesburg on Saturday. Coming back from being 0-9 down after 30 minutes, the Springboks ran in nine tries - seven in the second half rout.
This beats the 32-point margin (39-7) win recorded in December 2004 and the 63 Bok points are also more than the 52 in their 52-23 win in November 1993.
However, there will be concern over the injuries suffered to lock Bakkies Botha, who left the field in the 31st minute, and replacement centre Jaque Fourie, who suffered a fractured cheekbone in a tackle just five minutes after coming on in the second half.
In olden times the recipe for Springboks success was Subdue and penetrate - bash them up front and then give the backs a chance to run. It was different in Johannesburg on a warm winter's day. This there was precious little bash as the Springboks ran and ran, seeking to penetrate and penetrate, and they certainly did, scoring nine tries, and they could have scored more. But it took time.
For 30 minutes the Springboks did not score a single point. Then in the next 50 minutes they scored 63 points, not one a penalty point.
In fact after 30 minutes they were trailing 0-9 and deservedly so as the Pumas forced handling errors and won turnovers form a team which clearly believed that a big win was theirs for the taking. They gave up kicking. They were not even interested in kicking penalties anywhere. They wanted to run.
The Pumas kicked off and Victor Matfield, under no pressure, dropped the kick.
Adi Jacobs passed and the ball went to ground. José María Núñez Piossek footed a long way downfield where JP Pietersen saved but conceded a penalty for holding on in Núñez Piossek's tackle. Contepomi goaled. 3-0 after three minutes.
The Springboks handled poorly and they also guarded the ball carelessly at the tackle/ruck. In fact they lost three turnovers in a row. When Bismark du Plessis was penalised at a tackle for unclear reasons, Contepomi goaled with a fine kick. 6-0 after nine minutes.
South Africa had a penalty in an attacking position, but James tapped and Jongi Nokwe was close to the posts. Luke Watson was even closer but lost the ball in the fourth turnover against the Springboks.
The Pumas attacked as Federico Martín Aramburu beat three and the South African defence looked at sixes and sevens. What with handling errors and penalties it was a game of bits and pieces. Contepomi missed a penalty but then goaled one when Jantjes was penalised at a tackle. 9-0 after 24 minutes.
Against New Zealand that would send panicky waves down the whole of South Africa, but somehow there seemed no cause to worry, not even when the Pumas footed through and Matfield tried to save on his line, knocking on. Du Plessis played the ball and the referee awarded a scrum out of kindness which may well have been outside the law.
Then suddenly the Springboks' probing played dividends. It came as a surprise.
Enrico Januarie passed a horrible pass clean over James's head. Jean de Villiers came forward to gather and ran between Contepomi and Nicolás Vergallo. He handed off the covering Juan Manuel Leguizamon and raced down the middle of the field. Two Pumas challenged him and he slipped a pass to Jacobs who had no difficulty in scoring. 9-7 after 32 minutes.
This broke the dam.
From the kick-off the Springboks could have scored as they sent Nokwe speeding down the left. He passed inside but Jantjes was caught when he had support on both sides.
From a line-out the Springboks went right and then left. Jantjes gave Nokwe a perfect pass and the tall, slender wing slipped between Rodrigo Roncero and Vergallo. He sold a dummy and darted past Bernardo Stortoni for a try. 14-9 after 34 minutes.
That was the half-time score though there was a promising counterattack by James, his sweeping run stopped by Watson!
It took little time in the second half for the Springboks to carry on scoring. The Pumas had possession, but Tendai Mtawarira won a turnover and Pietersen kicked a long way downfield. Pierre Spies won the race to the ball, just managed to hold it and scored as brave Vergallo and Núñez Piossek tackled him. 21-9.
CJ van der Linde was penalised at a scrum five metres form the Puma line, but Contepomi's kick did not find touch. Nokwe started a counter on the left which ended when Pietersen skipped past Rimas Álvarez Kairelis and Stortoni to score. 28-9 after 49 minutes.
Lots of replacements happened about this time, including Percy Montgomery for his 99th cap. He went to fullback with Jantjes taking Nokwe's place on the left wing. And - fatefully - Fourie came on for De Villiers.
A penalty was again the Pumas' downfall. This time Contepomi kicked it out but they tried an over-the-top throw which Fourie du Preez gathered. The Springboks raced on the attack on the left and Du Preez beat Miguel Avramovic, Stortoni and Leguizamon, swooping over for the try. 35-9 after 55 minutes.
The Pumas were close when Contepomi, who passed little, threw a long bouncing pass to his right. Núñez Piossek gathered the ball and at the same time his head clashed with Fourie's cheek. Piossek got away from Fourie and headed for the corner as Watson tackled him. The TMO was able to confirm that the Puma had put a foot in touch.
Fourie went off and Spies went to the wing with Adriaan Strauss on the flank.
Jacobs took a short pass from James and cut clean through the midfield. Tackled by Stortoni he popped a pass to Joe Van Niekerk who celebrated his 50th cap buy running the five metres needed to score. 42-9 after 61 minutes.
The Springboks attacked from the kick-off. They went left and then right as Matfield handled twice till Van Niekerk was given a clear run for his second try. 49-9 after 62 minutes.
The Springboks then had their best attacking movement of the day as they swept downfield. Only the last pass did not go to hand, with the goal-line a metre or so ahead.
At this stage Rodrigo Roncero went off injured and the next seven scrums were uncontested.
The Pumas threw into a line-out five metres from their line. Again they threw over the top and again the Springboks scored. James anticipated, leapt and caught the throw, and the Springboks attacked till Du Plessis scored. 56-9 with nine minutes to play.
The Pumas went on pick-'n-drive till Andries Bekker won a turnover and the Springboks raced downfield. Pietersen chipped, gathered and scored under the posts. 63-9.
The Pumas came desperately close as Leguizamon lunged for the line, but with Du Preez grappling for the ball he lost it forward as he plunged.
The only downside for the Springboks was the number of injuries - Bakkies Botha off early, Jaque Fourie off after a minute or two on the field and perhaps with a fractured cheekbone. Adi Jacobs and Conrad Jantjes also needed attention.
Man of the Match: There were obviously many superior performances but our choice of Man of the Match is Butch James whose sole purpose was to set the Springboks running. When, rarely, he kicked out of hand, he was effective and he goaled every single conversion.
Moment of the Match: There were many which produced splendid tries in this the Springboks' biggest-ever win over Argentina but perhaps the best of them was that break by Jean de Villiers which produced the first try.
Villain of the Match: Nobody.
The scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Jacobs, Nokwe,
Spies, Pietersen 2, Du Preez, Van Niekerk 2, Du Plessis
Cons: James 9
For Argentina:
Pens: Contepomi 3
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Butch James, 9 Enrico Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Luke Watson, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Brian Mujati, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Fourie du Preez, 21 Jaque Fourie, 22 Percy Montgomery.
Argentina: 15 Bernardo Stortoni, 14 José María Núñez Piossek, 13 Federico Martín Aramburu, 12 Miguel Avramovic, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Felipe Contepomi (captain) , 9 Nicolás Vergallo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, 6
Martín Durand, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Rimas Álvarez Kairelis, 3 Pedro Ledesma, 2 Mario Ledesma , 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements: 16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Esteban Lozada, 19 Álvaro Galindo, 20 Alfredo Lalanne, 21 Benjamín Urdapilleta, 22 Rafael Carballo
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Geoff Warren (England)
