The Springboks outgunned the Aussies thanks largely to the boot of Handre Pollard, to get their Rugby Championship defence up and running.
The Springboks got back to winning ways with a hard fought 30-22 win over the Wallabies in the second Rugby Championship Test at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday night.
It was a deserved win as the Boks shaded the contest, but the Aussies kept it very interesting, fighting back from a 10 point halftime deficit, and only three missed kicks from James O’Connor late in the game meant it wasn’t as close as it should have been at the end.
Here are four talking points from the match:
Back and forth first half
It was a back and forth start to the game, the Boks starting well thanks to two early penalties knocked over by Handre Pollard giving them a 6-0 lead in the sixth minute. But they were punished by the Wallabies from their very first error when, from a scrum just outside their 22m area, the Boks gave away a free kick for early engagement.
The Aussies tapped quickly, went blind, kicked through and Corey Toole was in for the score and 7-6 lead.
But the Boks hit straight back as brilliant defence and a counter ruck got them the ball in the visitors 22m area, with a cross kick from Pollard finding Canan Moodie for the try. At the end of the half the Boks then scored their second, by Kwagga Smith, while a James O’Connor penalty on the hooter made it 20-10 at the break.
Improved set piece performance
The Boks produced a much improved set piece performance compared to the week before in Johannesburg. The Bok scrum, although not as dominant as is normally the case, was solid and they earned a couple of first half penalties. They were unable to get any dominance on the Aussie scrum though, as the visitors held them well, not losing any of their own feeds.
But it was at the lineout the Boks were drastically improved. After a horror show at Ellis Park, they were much better in Cape Town as they didn’t lose any of their nine throws. Strangely though the Boks did not want to maul, which is a traditional strength of theirs, with their only one being in the second half where they earned some good metres and a penalty.
Reserved play style and Pollard’s boot
The Springboks reverted to a more reserved play style for the second Test, after an all-out attacking one on the Highveld, and it worked in keeping the game tight and not allowing the Wallabies the freedom they enjoyed during the first Test. However, that also meant the Boks were never able to get away on the scoreboard, despite being in charge for most of the match.
Veteran flyhalf Pollard was also a calming presence, producing a man-of-the-match performance, and used his boot to keep the Aussies on the back foot throughout the match. He pinged them with numerous up and unders, cleared well, and a superb cross kick led to a try. He also slotted all his kicks at goal which turned out to be the difference in the end.
Aussie second half comeback
It is becoming a worrying trend for the Boks to fall away in the second half, and they were at it again at the Cape Town Stadium. Having taken a 20-10 lead into halftime, they allowed the Aussies to come roaring back in the second half through a try shortly after the break to Max Jorgensen, while they also conceded another maul try to Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
With James O’Connor putting the second conversion wide it meant the Boks held a slender 23-22 lead going into the final 10 minutes of the match.
A converted try to Eben Etzebeth gave them some breathing room into the final five minutes. Two more O’Connor misses, one penalty pushed wide and another from halfway falling short, helped the Boks see out the win in the end, despite losing the half.
