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Though a lopsided 43-0 scoreline gave the impression it was a runaway win over Wales, the Springboks were forced to grind hard in difficult, greasy conditions at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, coach Rassie Erasmus said.
It was a third consecutive Nations Championship win for the rampant world champions who ran in seven tries without reply against Wales, after earlier victories over England and Scotland.
Next up for the Boks is a tough showdown against Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 8, before they return home for the Greatest Rivalry series against old foes New Zealand.
“Maybe it did not look like it, but we had to grind it out. It was 14-0 for a long time before we eventually pulled away,” Erasmus said.
“To get 43 points and to keep them to nil – we’re satisfied with that.
“Forty-three-nil was definitely better than last week, certainly defensively.
“But it’s easier to defend on a wet field like that, and we had no injuries, so that’s good.
“I think we’ve got a little bit better in every game of the Nations Championship, but as we’ve been rotating, it does take cohesion away.
“We saw world-class players make a few knocks-on in this game.
“The field was really slippery, and you could feel it in the warm-up that it was really greasy.
“It was tough to play an expansive, pretty game in weather like that against a team that really wanted to defend.
“But we didn’t lose a lineout ball and, while we weren’t on our game in the scrums last week, we were good today.
“Our maul stopping and mauling itself was good. It was something that we wanted to get right so we had a lot of fixes that we got right.
“In this game against Wales we leant that our defence was better than last week.
“The team really worked hard on that and our set piece was really solid.
“And I think some guys handled the pressure of Test match rugby better than they did last week.
“I think a lot of guys came through this Test with ticks against their name.
“There were no injuries and I think it’s the first time after a game that we can say no injuries, so that’s good.”
Erasmus said flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu would be ready for the Argentina tour.
“Look, we have Sacha coming back from injury ahead of the match against Argentina on August 8,” he said.
“He will play against the Pumas.
“Handre pulled his hamstring against Scotland and was not ready for this match against Wales, but he is fit now.
“Argentina is going to be tough.
“Like Wales they’ve had our number a few times and our biggest loss was to them since we’ve been together from 2018.
“We are just trying to build our game and I think the showing against Wales was another step forward.”
Erasmus said a squad of 26 would be sent to South America while a group of 15 or 16 players would remain behind with some coaches to prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand in August and September.
Scorers:
Springboks 43: Tries: Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Jesse Kriel, Jaco Williams, Herschel Jantjies, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Paul de Villiers. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (3), Manie Libbok.
Wales: 0.
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