Boks give lively display in thriller with Pumas
THOUSANDS of Springbok fans packed into the Jonsson Kings Park Stadium on a gloomy Saturday to watch the boys in green and gold claim a hard-fought victory.
The Boks have 15 matches to go before they travel to Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where they hope to lift the Web Ellis Cup for the third time since 1995. The national team lifted the cup in 1995 on home soil and again in 2007.
Outside the stadium yesterday, jubilant fans braved the cold weather and were not deterred by the chill in the atmosphere.
Street vendors, such as Zimbabwean-born Durbanbased Tawanda Dzikili, made a killing with the sale of South African flags.
Dzikili was rooting for the Boks to take home the glory. He said he was glad to see the flags fly.
“Boks have always displayed great skill against the Argentinian side. They have won more games with a huge scoreline,” he said.
One of the fans was in high spirits as he bought a flag for R100 from Dzikili.
“There’s no guessing which team I support,” said another fan, as he dashed off with his young son in Bok colours.
Another, Martinus van Schalke, said enthusiastically: “I drove all the way from Port Shepstone to watch our boys turning the tables.”
Victor Hellberg, from Pietermaritzburg, said the Springboks had prepared well for the game by assembling a new crop of players who were determined to win.
“I expect a bright future for this squad. I want to see Sharks players dominating in future,” he said. Meshack Naidoo and his girfriend Nicole Pillay said watching the game from the stands was always exciting. “It’s boring watching a game of this magnitude from the couch,” they added.