Malcolm Marx turned in a superb performance in his 50th Test appearance as the Springboks pummelled the All Blacks to start the Rugby Championship campaign with a convincing victory in Mbombela yesterday.
A 26-10 victory, thanks to tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie le Roux to go with 16 points from Handre Pollard, saw the Springboks come close to breaking their biggest winning margin (17 points) against the All Blacks.
The result also marks South Africa’s first home win against New Zealand since 2014.
In another Bok milestone, Marx shone on earning his 50th cap, winning four turnovers in 53 minutes.
Arendse was not the only Bok player to suffer an unfortunate concussion as Faf de Klerk was knocked out after getting his head on the wrong side of a tackle seconds into the contest. While De Klerk made an appearance back on the bench halfway through the first half and gave the crowd a wave, he is unlikely to play in the rematch at Ellis Park.
On attack, the Springboks caused havoc in the air and it was no surprise that it was that area of the game that led to the first try, finished by Arendse. Much like the man he replaced in the starting line-up, Arendse scored his first Test try in just his second appearance for the Springboks, also against New Zealand.
Perhaps the concern for the Bok coaches would be how the home side let the All Blacks back into the contest in the final 10 minutes of the first half.
Four consecutive penalties allowed New Zealand to work their way into Bok territory and Jordie Barrett to get the visitors on the board.
The Springboks continued their momentum in the second half as Pollard restored the 10-point with another penalty, before slotting a drop goal and nailing a third penalty to make it 19-3 in the 73rd minute.
Just as the home side was cruising, Arendse’s red card in the 75th minute gave the All Blacks a second wind and replacement flanker Shannon Frizell powered over after Clarke’s line-break.
However, Willie le Roux made an immediate impact after coming onto the field in the 79th minute, pouncing on a loose ball to seal a comprehensive victory for the Boks. – sarugbymag.co.za
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