SA can start dreaming of the Boks again
at Kings Park GREAT sporting institutions do not fall into place overnight: they are carefully perfected over time until one day no one remembers what it was like at the beginning of an uncertain journey.
At the rate this youthful and inexperienced Springboks are going, South Africans can start dreaming again because it seems that coach Allister Coetzee and unassuming captain Warren Whiteley may be on to something special.
Last week Coetzee said last season’s painful chapter was closed and pleaded with the South African public to take a leap of faith in this new beginning.
In their thorough demolition of a significantly bolstered France from the first test loss in Pretoria last weekend, the Boks showed unity, fighting spirit and determination with man-of-the-match Siya Kolisi among the standout performers of the dominant opening half.
Every player in green and gold put their body behind the wheel and pushed hard with a roaring performance of few mistakes to snatch this series with a match in Johannesburg to spare on Saturday.
Despite his first-half try, Stormers captain Kolisi carried, stole, offloaded and defended as the South Africans went to the break with a healthy 23-7 lead which made it difficult for the visiting French to mount a comeback.
Then there was Elton Jantjies, who sizzled with the boot and a good return of three conversions and three penalties, Whiteley’s leadership and Jean-Luc du Preez, who came on for injured Oupa Mahoje, among others.
The Springboks took responsibility in all areas of the field and they deserve this victory where they got almost everything on the field right.
The fact that a disparate France only managed to score one try in the second half was a result of a collective defensive display as the Boks soaked up everything that the French threw at them.
It is still early days to get carried away, but confidence will be high by the time they travel to big boys — Australia and New Zealand — and the unpredictable Argentina, Ireland, Italy and Wales later in the year.
France took the early initiative and inside five minutes they took the lead through the effort of South African-born and French fullback Scott Spedding, who scored the first try in the corner despite attention from Eben Etzebeth.
Baptiste Serin stood up to easily convert and South Africa got their name on the scoresheet a few minutes later from a penalty by Jantjies to narrow the gap to four points.
South Africa were forced into an early change in the 14th minute when flanker Oupa Mahoje was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury and he was replaced by Jean-Luc du Preez.
The Boks took the lead for the first time through a Jan Serfontein try that was converted by Jantjies after they won the ball from a counter-scrum and good interplay after 20 minutes.
The second try came a few minutes later through Kolisi, who powered home under the poles after he intercepted a speculative pass from Francois Trinh-Duc and Jantjies obliged for his second conversion.
France thought they were back in the match in the 71st minute when Damian Penaud scored an unconverted try but South Africa had other ideas.
Coenie Oosthuizen and Jantjies scored a try each in the closing stages which were converted and the players received a deserved standing ovation from an appreciative Durban crowd when they left the field.