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The Springboks put in a mixed performance but still had enough power to cruise to a 55-10 win over Georgia in Mbombela.
Loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit and lock Ruan Nortje in action for the Springboks against Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday night. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said that his side weren’t completely satisfied with their performance, despite picking up a big 55-10 win over Georgia in their one-off Test at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
The Boks got off to a slow start, with the visitors scoring the first try, before the hosts battled back to lead 22-10 at halftime and then powered away with a further five tries in the second half to cruise over the 50 point mark.
Speaking after the game Kolisi admitted that they weren’t able put enough consecutive positive plays together, which stemmed their flow and led to a difficult first half effort, before improving after the break which allowed them to open up a bit more.
“It was a tough game, credit to the Georgians, they came hard in the first half. Physically they matched us most of the time, and we struggled at the breakdown, they were quite dominant there. So we were happy with the way we cleaned up in the second half,” said Kolisi.
“The problem was we weren’t able to produce enough positives one after the other. We did something good and then we would make a mistake, so that slowed down our momentum.
“The game was also a bit slow, and was very stop-start. But hopefully we can fix our problems and make sure that we build on our positives going forward.”
Competition for places
It was a rookie front row that turned out for the Boks in the match, with props Boan Venter, Neethling Fouche and hooker Marnus van der Merwe all making their official debuts for the national team, and they produced a solid effort first up, impressing in the scrums, while also making a few mistakes in general play.
Edwill van der Merwe (third cap), and Cobus Wiese (second cap) were also given valuable game time, and Kolisi said the competition in the squad is great and is keeping the more experienced players on their toes.
“I am happy for them (debutants). Congratulations to them and their families. The coach is building squad depth while we are winning, and you can see the amount of competition in the group. The guys (who played) last week set the standard,” explained Kolisi.
“I think in the first half here we didn’t live up to that standard and had to pick it up in the second half. So competition is tight and everyone who gets an opportunity has got to take it. But that’s what keeps the squad fresh and on their toes.”
Lock Ruan Nortje is also growing game by game, with this his eighth appearance for the Boks, and he produced a fantastic effort against the Georgians, which saw him named man-of-the-match.
“It is always special to play in Mbombela, the supporters are amazing. Credit to Georgia for bringing it tonight. We knew they are a physical team and rising in the ranks, so it was an awesome challenge against them,” said Nortje.
