Lowveld remains Forever Green, Forever Gold as Springboks lift Rugby Championship trophy
The 43 000 spectators were vehement in their support for the Springboks from the warm-up until the team paraded the trophy around the field perimeter.
Played five, won five.
This is the Springboks’ record at Mbombela Stadium after defeating Argentina 48-7 in a Castle Lager Rugby Championship match on Saturday September 28. The Boks won the 2024 Rugby Championship in front of 42 000 fans.
Once again, residents of the Lowveld created a green and gold ‘home for a week’ for their beloved Springbok team. From the team’s arrival at KMI Airport on Sunday, September 22, to the RWC Trophy Blitz at Riverside Mall on Thursday, September 26, to the championship-deciding match, the Boks were carried on a wave of green and gold.
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“Thank you to the people who came to see us, and Eben [Etzebeth], for the last time [in South Africa] this season,” said captain Siya Kolisi at the post-match media conference.
Coach Rassie Erasmus experienced Fortress Mbombela for the first time with the Boks. “There was a mass of people in the stadium during our warm-up, and the noise made it difficult [to hear one another]. We felt it immediately; it was electric. I could not sing the national anthem. I did not expect such a rendition from the crowd. They really carried us throughout the game,” he said.
Pieter-Steph du Toit was the man of the match. “It was awesome to win the championship here in Mbombela. This was one of my best [pre-match preparation] weeks. I enjoyed myself off the field. We won and gave the people the championship; I hope they are happy. We appreciate their support and want to thank them,” he said.
Eben Etzebeth became the most-capped Springbok ever, playing his 128th match on Saturday. Interestingly, the man whose record he beat, Victor Matfield, also achieved this milestone at Mbombela Stadium. On June 12, 2014, South Africa faced Wales in the Lowveld. Matfield was captain and played his 112th match for the Boks, surpassing the then-most-capped Springbok John Smit’s record of 111.
“I was very emotional during the national anthem. I thought of my dad looking down from heaven. Hy het seker ’n paar brandewyne vir al die engele daar bo gegooi. And seeing my wife and daughter on the sideline was special,” said Etzebeth.
“I would have not reached this milestone without Siya [Kolisi], Jesse [Kriel], Handré [Pollard], Franna [Frans Malherbe], Willie [le Roux] and Damian [Willemse]; I’m leaving a few guys out now. It also would not have been nice if we had lost this game. The team really showed up tonight. I was a final for us. The guys wanted to make it special for me, but it will always be a team sport and the win is the big thing tonight. I still cannot believe that this honour has come to me.”
The Bok coach did not take a full-strength squad for the away match against Argentina the previous Saturday. Erasmus admitted it was a gamble that paid off. He risked losing a battle to win the war. He made 10 changes to his starting team for the penultimate Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against Los Pumas in Santiago del Estero, from the team that beat the All Blacks 18-10 on September 7.
The Pumas won the match 29-28.
Erasmus then made nine changes in the match 23 for the Mbombela match, from the team that lost to Argentina. “I believe if we did not split the squad in two and rested a few guys, we might not have won today. The Pumas squad had to fly here. We had experienced players staying at home to bring the leadership and big match temperament today. In this crunch game we had the older and calmer heads to pull it through, and also help the younger players,” said Erasmus.
The Boks were in sublime form on Saturday. Their attacking game plan was too slick for the Argentinians to combat. They were in control from the first to the 80th minute, and their faithful fans cheered on at every beautiful moment. It was an evening they will not soon forget.
The Boks gave them what they wanted – the 2024 Rugby Championship – and they did so in spectacular fashion. The South African forwards secured possession and the backs did the rest. The Bok scrum was devastatingly dominant, with numerous scrum penalties going against the Pumas. The Springboks held a well-deserved 27-7 lead at half-time and won 48-7.
The Boks’ attack was ruthless. The Pumas’ only points were from a defensive error.
The Springboks demolished the Pumas. The home team’s ability to play at a tempo and with the precision that forced the Argentinians into making errors was key.
The Boks’ dominance is reflected in the metres gained stat. South Africa made 765m, despite 27 kicks out of hand, to the Argentinians’ 220m. The Pumas made 170 tackles to the Boks’ 99.
That Argentina received two yellow cards and a yellow that was upgraded to two red did not help their cause. They had a clean disciplinary record in this year’s Rugby Championship until Saturday’s match.
The Boks remain undefeated at Mbombela Stadium. In 2013, they beat Scotland 30-17 and in 2014, Wales 31-30. In 2016, South Africa played their home Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Mbombela Stadium and won 30-23. In 2022, the Springboks faced their old foes, the All Blacks, in Mbombela. They won 26-10, their first home win against New Zealand in eight years.
The Springboks will play Scotland (Murrayfield, November 10), England (Twickenham, November 16) and Ireland (Principality Stadium, November 23) on their end-of-year tour.