Springboks star makes candid admission after notching ‘special’ achievement against Scotland
Springboks loose forward Kwagga Smith.
Springboks loose forward Kwagga Smith celebrated his 50th Test appearance for his country in style as they clinched a 32-15 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.
The world champions were in fine form as they ran in four unanswered tries in their Autumn Nations Series opener, although they had to work hard to secure the result against a resilient Scotland side.
Smith, who is one of a select few who represented both South Africa‘s sevens and 15s sides, is happy to celebrate his milestone match for the Springboks with a victory.
‘Getting a win in my 50th game was very special’
“Playing at Murrayfield and getting a win in my 50th game was very special,” said Smith. “I thought Scotland played very well, and unfortunately, we made a lot of mistakes.
“But for the boys to pull it through and get the result was memorable and it’s a real honour to mark the occasion with this team.”
Smith has had a decorated career in both codes, winning gold and bronze medals respectively with the Blitzboks at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics, while he is one of numerous double Rugby World Cup winners in the current senior Springboks side.
However, he admitted that he did not expect to achieve the feat of making 50 Test appearances for the world champions.
“Playing sevens and going to the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as playing 35 tournaments for the Blitzboks was fantastic, but then one sets your next goal, and I wanted to be a Springbok,” he said.
“I didn’t think I’d get to 50 Test matches, so it’s an honour and special to give something back to this team.”
Meanwhile, young utility back Canan Moodie has also impressed at Test level with the Boks and was part of their victorious squad which lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in France last year.
The 20-year-old lined up on the right wing against Scotland on Sunday and, like Smith, he couldn’t hide his delight after the Boks kicked off their end-of year tour in winning fashion.
“It was a good win for us, especially for me personally, since I haven’t played in five weeks,” said Moodie.
‘Another bucket list venue ticked off’
“It was my first game at Murrayfield, and it was very exciting to play there. It was another bucket list venue ticked off for me, and over and above that the atmosphere was very special, with a lot of South Africans coming out to support us, so it was very special.
“And then obviously scoring four tries and not leaking one, is something we are very pleased about.”
With the Boks set to take on England at Twickenham on Saturday, Moodie said the win over Scotland gave them valuable momentum going into their next Test.
“It’s a short turnaround to the England match, so we have to prepare well for that, but we’ll take confidence from that result (against Scotland),” he added.
“It was a tough first half, but the win was a good start to the tour.”
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