Comment: ‘Far from exceptional’ Springboks ’cause alarm’ despite Handre Pollard’s efforts

When the final whistle blew in Cape Town, the first thought of Rassie Erasmus’ mum might again have been to call her son to say she loves him.

South Africa avenged a defeat by Australia in Johannesburg so scarring that those nearest and dearest to their coach felt the need to throw a protective arm around him.

But given where they play next, and New Zealand’s record at Eden Park, nothing the world champions produced suggested they are in any shape to end the All Blacks’ 31-year unbeaten record at their spiritual home.

Events in Buenos Aires, a few hours later, changed that calculation somewhat, given that Scott Robertson’s side were beaten in Argentina for the first time, and every team in the Rugby Championship is now nursing a defeat.

But it does not alter the fact that since France won in 1994, there have been 50 Test matches played in the ‘Garden of Eden’ and New Zealand have lost none of them.

Springbok fans can justifiably counter that since their last visit in 2013, the men in green and gold have won back-to-back World Cups and, indeed, the last four editions of this fixture.

But there is something spiritual, mystical even, about Eden Park which has super-charged Kiwi teams for more than three decades and means it requires something exceptional to win there.

Which is not an adjective that was being used in connection with these Springboks a week ago when they blew a 22-0 lead, conceding 38 unanswered points, to lose to the Wallabies at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963.

It was so grim that as the match ended and the blame game began.

Rassie’s phone pinged. “You know when your mum sends you a message to say, ‘My kid, I still love you’,” he said, a couple of days later. “Things aren’t lekker.”

World Rugby rankings: The impact of the Springboks’ win and All Blacks’ defeat

The world is a more bearable place for Erasmus and his team today, having reversed that result to retain the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and move within two points of the top of the table.

Ice Man Pollard

He was rewarded for recalling Handre Pollard as the Ice Man kicked six from six in greasy conditions. The coach’s decision to strip the Boks’ game back to basics also paid dividends as the Wallabies were beaten 30-22.

They were more direct, more confrontational, more.. South African. They ruled the skies, played the percentages better and settled a score at the breakdown where they were embarrassed in Jo’burg.

Yet for all that was better in their performance – and, remember, Erasmus made 10 changes to his starting team – they were far from exceptional. They won by eight points only because James O’Connor missed three late kicks.

When Brandon Paenga-Amoso dotted down the Wallabies’ third try with 12 minutes to go, O’Connor had a straightforward conversion to give his side a 24-23 lead. He pulled it.

Andrew Kellaway then gift-wrapped field position for Eben Etzebeth to bag what turned out to be the decisive try with a knock-on which would have kept him awake last night.

Still the Boks could not nail it down. A high tackle by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu gave O’Connor another shot at the sticks, which he missed. Then Aphelele Fassi was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. Again the Wallaby erred.

Eden Park looms

So, yes, South Africa won a tense and at times absorbing Test match to save Rassie’s mum further worry, but the Eden Park clash is only 13 days away and little they showed in the Mother City, other than the assassin’s touch of Pollard, will cause alarm.

Against a wounded All Blacks team, the Boks will need a significant upgrade on Saturday’s effort.

“When you’ve won eight in a row and then lose badly, you do lose a bit of belief,” admitted Erasmus. “Sometimes it’s just about getting back on the horse.”

The road to achieving that was paved with a good bit of fortune. Tom Wright, so outstanding for Australia a week ago, lasted four minutes before sustaining what appeared to be a serious calf injury.

Nic White, match winner in Australia’s final Test against the Lions and equally influential at Ellis Park, was concussed in the 12th minute, having already set up a try. Joseph Suaalii was lost to the contest at half-time.

Then there was Fraser McReight, captaining the visitors in the absence of Harry Wilson and easily the top tackler here with 17, being denied a try by the TMO. Replays showed that in crunching Pollard to force the turnover, Kellaway touched the ball forward.

Add all that together, and let’s not forget two instances of O’Connor turning down a shot at the posts to go instead for the corner, and it is little wonder Joe Schmidt’s team trailed at the break.

Still the Boks were made to sweat and fret, aside from Pollard, who never appears to do either. Max Jorgensen and Paenga-Amoso claimed the first two tries after the restart, levelling up earlier scores by Canan Moodie and Kwagga Smith and adding to Corey Toole’s debut score.

At least the Springboks got a tune out of their bench this week, but even with Etzebeth straining every sinew, they were unable to bag the four-try bonus point, which could yet cost them.

“I’d rather grind out a win than lose playing pretty rugby,” said Erasmus. “Last week we overplayed and ran into trouble; we definitely played a more balanced game today.

“Under pressure the players stood up. We were more composed. That builds character for the big moments we’ll face again.”

Eden Park will be as big a moment as there is all year. New Zealand are smarting but headed back to their happy place. A Springbok win and Rassie’s mum won’t be alone in wanting to show him love.

READ MORE: Scott Robertson ‘hurt’ by abject display as All Blacks boss pinpoints where it went wrong