With one game still left to play against the Barbarians this weekend, the Springboks — win or lose — will leave northern hemisphere shores with mixed emotions.
The Springboks’ mission was to win a Grand Slam for the first time in 50 years and, arriving off the back of a disastrous Tri-Nations series with an injury-ravaged touring squad, weren’t given a chance in hell. Knives were already being sharpened for coach Peter de Villiers, who was under a mountain of pressure to deliver after facing much criticism at home during his tenure.
In fact, with confidence low among most die-hard Bok fans back in South Africa and fears their World Cup defence would be in tatters, talk around the braai was that if South Africa did fail to deliver, at least De Villiers would get the chop. How’s that for looking on the bright side?
As it turned out, the world champions — depleted of first-choice players, experience and with serious questions around their coaching set-up — muscled to a win over Ireland, showed great composure to overcome a substantial deficit against Wales, lost to Scotland and disposed of England.
Three Test wins out of four.
Not bad going, considering where they were four months ago and they certainly looked a more settled side after Saturday’s comprehensive victory at Twickenham, but will be ruing their slip-up in Scotland more with each day.
Injury toll
Had they not come unstuck at Murrayfield then the men in green and gold would have a Grand Slam to make amends for a rough 2010, and appease their frustrated faithful. And despite all that has been this year, the players themselves could have looked back with real pride at a real achievement. It would’ve provided the kind of intangible lift that Springbok rugby badly needs ahead of a World Cup year.
Still, to leave Britain and Ireland with a Test pass mark of 75% was enough to show that the Webb Ellis trophy holders are far from the struggling team many have believed them to be.
They had the worst injury toll of any major team coming into the end-of-year tours, and a host of returning personal — Fourie du Preez, Heinrich Brüssouw, Jaque Fourie, Danie Rossouw, Andries Bekker, John Smit, JP Pietersen, Schalk Burger, Juan de Jongh (to name but some) — will hold the nation in good stead approaching the 2011 season.
And then of course, we can’t ignore the rising talent that has been unleashed in November with players such as Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo taking their chances with both hands. Between them, the Sharks duo have scored four tries so far for South Africa with a Baa-Baas fixture still to come.
Of course, we would have liked to have seen a bit more of the much-heralded Patrick Lambie, but his time to shine will no doubt come this weekend along with several other Bok rookies. Though their cause won’t be aided with a number of senior players already on the plane home, and we’re not so sure Lambie and company will be as successful playing in a new team of young players. Lambie to the slaughter? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But then again, stranger things have happened on this Bok tour!
Results in 2010:
November:
South Africa won 21-11 vs England at Twickenham
South Africa lost 17-21 vs Scotland at Murrayfield
South Africa won 29-25 vs Wales at Millennium Stadium
South Africa won 23-21 vs Ireland at Aviva Stadium
Tri-Nations:
South Africa lost 12-32 vs New Zealand in Auckland
South Africa lost 17-31 vs New Zealand in Wellington
South Africa lost 13-30 vs Australia in Brisbane
South Africa lost 22-29 vs New Zealand in Jo’burg
South Africa won 44-31 v Australia in Pretoria
South Africa lost 39-41 v Australia in Bloemfontein
June:
South Africa won 55-11 v Italy in East London
South Africa won 29-13 v Italy in Witbank
South Africa won 42-17 v France in Cape Town
South Africa won 34-31 v Wales in Cardiff — www.planet-rugby.com