Desperation turned into elation for Rassie Erasmus and his Springboks as they levelled the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series with the All Blacks with a classical, clinical and confrontational display to win 33-26 in Cape Town.
With exactly the response their situation demanded, the Boks came out at the end of a week in which their coach chopped and changed his lineup seemingly on a whim, and produced the sort of display that had been beyond their grasp last week in Jo’burg, but they absolutely required this one.
The world champions were physically relentless, both sides of the ball, they were efficient in the All Blacks’ half, collecting three tries in a rollicking first half, and then three penalties in a ruthless second spell, and they did just enough to deny a New Zealand side that found its attacking rhythm just a little late.
And a tip of the hat to Erasmus, whose lineup tinkering went right through to match day when he changed out his entire front row.
His machinations worked, and this series is now deliciously poised at 1-1, with two more to come, next week at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium and the finale in Baltimore in a fortnight.
Source: stuff.co.nz
