Springbok glory and a tale of two coaches

The Springboks’ 48-7 mauling of Los Pumas at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday did not come without feel-good factors that will further embolden the Rugby World Cup champions.

They claimed the Rugby Championship and in so doing delivered a performance fitting for talismanic lock Eben Etzebeth’s record 128th appearance in the green and gold.

The match was also a personal triumph for flyhalf Manie Libbok who came in for stinging criticism after his costly miss at goal in the previous weekend’s clash in Santiago del Estero.

Libbok did not take aim at goal on Saturday and played with admirable composure, marshalling the Bok backline with authority. His distribution skills were at times off the charts. After a troubling week it was a huge show of character.

“Social media is sometimes an evil thing,” noted head coach Rassie Erasmus. “It is sometimes also a reality check for us to stay in touch with the fans. I had a lekker chat with Manie at the start of the week and said, ‘we are going to get you back on the horse. The guys are going to help you, Jaden [Hendrikse] will take the kicking’.”

Erasmus acknowledged the role his senior players played in bringing calm to proceedings.

“They also helped a guy like Manie [Libbok] to get through stages like this. I’m very happy for him. I’m very happy for SA,” Erasmus said.

After last week’s defeat in Argentina, the Springboks with the title on the line had to hit the deck running in Mbombela. They did this with aplomb.

Captain Siya Kolisi explained their fast start was aimed at setting the tone for the performance. “The way we came out, the way we started the game: our intentions were clear,” the double Rugby World Cup-winning captain said.

“The coach reminded us the people are behind us but they are not going to win it for us. It was huge because it was the last time we are playing at home [this year]. It is the first time we win it [a full version of the Rugby Championship. In 2019 they won a truncated version]. “We did it for Eben as well,” Kolisi said.

Erasmus intimated his strategy of splitting resources over the two matches against Argentina paid dividends. “I didn’t expect that scoreline but I did expect the guys who stayed back to come up with leadership and big-match temperament,” the coach said.

Erasmus said the win wasn’t spectacular but that his players showed good intent. “It wasn’t perfect, but there was good stuff we can build on.”

By contrast Argentina didn’t just feel the lowveld heat but also the blow torch the Springboks exposed them to on Saturday. After arriving in SA with three wins under the belt in this season’s competition they perhaps had reason to be optimistic. They however would have left the stadium deflated.

They were under pressure from the opening whistle and their discipline wore thin as the Springboks applied the squeeze, especially in the scrums. The cards they received however were not the result of their errant ways in that facet.

Left-wing Mateo Carreras was shown a yellow for upending Aphelele Fassi in the 29th minute, while fullback Santiago Carreras was shown the same card for a deliberate knock-down in the 68th minute. Pablo Matera was also shown yellow but his reckless ruck clean-out was referred to the bunker review system and the sanction was upgraded to red.

Facing the media after the match their coach Felipe Contepomi was asked if he could explain his visit to the referees’ change rooms in the halftime break. The coach strenuously denied it, but owned up that he had a conversation with referee Ben O’Keefe after the game.

“I don’t know where you get it from, but it is a bad thing to say because I never go to the changeroom of a ref at halftime,” a visibly irritated Contepomi said. “So, I am disappointed that you ask that question and I would like to know where you take it from.

“I know Ben O’Keefe very well and we chatted and I said we [will] send a review and he said ‘yes’ and that we are OK in terms of interchanging. I am surprised that you got the bad information. You need to be careful because you are a reporter, you need to check your information. Because that is a lie. Sorry, for me that is the last question,” said the coach.

Contepomi put down the microphone and made for the exit with captain Julian Montoya but a different reporter also brought it to the coach’s attention that he too had received the same information. This did not lighten Contepomi’s mood before he disappeared into the bowels of the Mbombela Stadium.