Tweet

It would be easy to heap all the praise on Morne Steyn for the Springboks 31-19 demolition of the All Blacks in Durban on Saturday as the record-breaking flyhalf scored all of the Boks' points, but the display has highlighted the momentous team ethic that the national side has fostered.

From the whistle the Boks had the All Blacks on the backfoot with marauding tackles and pressure from the likes of Jacques Fourie and JP Pietersen shocking the visitors who never recovered. Even All Blacks coach Graham Henry concedes that his team did not execute well as they hoped on the day, also saying that pressure got the best of them.

In Steyn, the Boks have found a reliable kicker, a rarity of late in the Springbok camp. But his eight penalties were the result of sustained pressure forcing the Kiwis into multiple mistakes, and more than the individual effort it was a sure sign of a team firing on all cylinders. Coach Peter De Villiers sang his team’s praises, noting he was proud of their performance.

The Boks are also not going to be distracted easily as the assembling of a formidable squad has been a process, not an overnight phenomenon, and so achievements will be racked up. Captain John Smit has reiterated the importance of not focusing on records, but playing as a unit. The platform has been set for perhaps one of the most dominant Tri-nations in Springbok history.
SABC NEWS