Ex-All Blacks star hails ‘brilliant’ Manie Libbok’s impact in Springboks triumph in Wellington
Springboks playmaker Manie Libbok and ex-All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald (inset).
Stephen Donald has hailed the performance of Manie Libbok for the Springboks in their Rugby Championship victory over the All Blacks at Sky Stadum in Wellington on Saturday.
Libbok came off the replacements bench in the 18th minute – when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was forced off after failing a HIA – and delivered a composed all-round performance as the world champions cruised to a 43-10 victory and, in doing so, condemn the All Blacks to their heaviest ever defeat.
Despite trailing 10-7 at half-time, the Boks took control of proceedings after the interval and scored 36 unanswered points with Libbok finishing with a 13-point haul courtesy of five conversions and a penalty.
The result means that only two points separate the teams in the Rugby Championship after four rounds of action with Australia currently setting the pace atop the standings.
The Wallabies have 11 points while the Boks and All Blacks are level on 10 and Argentina occupy fourth position just a point adrift.
Libbok has been a much maligned figure amongst Springboks supporters in recent years as he has struggled with goal-kicking issues in the past, but he delivered an impressive performance in Wellington as he slotted six out of seven shots at goal.
Three outstanding Springboks fly-halves
The Boks have three outstanding fly-halves at their disposal in Handre Pollard, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Libbok and Donald highlighted the latter playmaker’s impact when he entered the fray against the All Blacks on Saturday.
“Well, the guy that stopped playing wasn’t included in this team is Mr. Reliable, the guy that wins World Cups for them in Pollard,” the former All Blacks fly-half told The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav.
“And then you’ve got Sacha, who’s obviously the future.
“And I think we’re all a little bit disappointed when he got injured because we were like ‘Oh, it’s a shame’, because we haven’t actually seen him in his entirety here in New Zealand. And he’s obviously a very special footballer. And then you’ve got Manie Libbok, (who) a couple of years ago was the guy that they wanted to entrust with.
“But then we saw things like him getting dragged before half-time in some of the big knockout games at the World Cup. So, you often wondered was he the guy that would always be the disposable one?
“Would he be the one that Rassie (Erasmus) would sort of, you know, not today for Manie Libbok, but he comes on, well, 60 to go. And in the end, he is a massive reason that the Boks got the job done.
“Yes, there’s a few kicks. He wasn’t alone on the night, but there’s a few kicks where he was feeling his way out. You know, I guess just chucking a few up in hope and seeing where they ended up, because it was at it’s swirly best the Cake Tin.
“I think Sacha, before he got injured, learned the hard way as he went into one corner for a penalty kick to touch and ended up at the goalpost.
“But look, I thought Manie Libbok was brilliant. I thought a few of the backs, really, what we mentioned (Ethan) Hooker in the previous episode, Cheslin Kolbe was Cheslin Kolbe.
“And you just see the ability that they’ve got. If they do want to start to play a bit more of a dynamic free flowing game, then they have got the arsenal there to go.”
Donald, who was the All Blacks’ hero in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against France when he slotted the match-winning penalty, also had special words of praise for Boks utility back Damian Willemse, who started out at inside centre in Wellington before shifting to full-back late in the second half when Aphelele Fassi was forced off through injury.
‘It’s certainly raised some eyebrows’
“Well, of course, he was at the World Cup as their full-back, you know, and I guess it’s certainly raised some eyebrows, that selection, because obviously De (Damian) Allende, (Jesse) Kriel, the old firm,” he added.
“And even Lukhanyo Arm. I think he’s still in the squad or still certainly around the squad as a magnificent footballer. Someone I certainly respect and thinks (is) great at what he does.
“But Willemse in at that 12 jersey. (Canan) Moodie’s obviously the future at 13 or just somewhere in the Springbok backline because he’s been talked about for a while.
“But it was Willemse who struck me early watching the game, because he’s a big unit.
“He’s got a little bit bigger since when he first came onto the scene as the Stormers 10, when I think I was still trying to hang in there. But he’s a lot bigger now. He’s very dynamic on his feet.
“That was something early on when he was playing at 12, before the backline reshuffle, was how dynamic he was on his feet. And he always hunted around the ball in the big moments.
“We saw him score the try that I think in the end, probably that far out, we weren’t to know, but that was the one that broke the back and sort of put it out to 14 (the Boks’ lead).
“And in the end, the All Blacks couldn’t come back from, but I thought he was outstanding Kirst. He really was.”
