The Springboks handed out blows to Loftus Versfeld when they beat the Wallabies 43 – 12 in a one-sided Rugby Championship match.
The South Africans were at their attacking best and the flying Kurt-Lee Arendse often made opponents grab for air.
The Bulls defender scored a hat-trick of tries and he was deservedly named the player of the match.
Duane Vermeulen, who led the team in Siya Kolisi’s absence on the field, in an interview with SuperSport said that he was proud of the team.
“It was a fantastic performance. We had our plans in the run-up to the game, but you never know what to expect from Australia.”
Vermeulen – who was named the player of the match in the World Cup final in Japan four years ago – led from the front and the Aussies often had to stand up to stop his power runs.
“We know that Eddie Jones is a tired client, but I believe we have adapted well and taken our strengths into account. A solid performance in the fixed facets and rock solid defense is in our DNA and this is how we approach matches. It still wasn’t our very best performance, but I’m happy with the result.”
Arendse is undoubtedly a three-print machine.
He has already scored ten tries in his eight international tests and although he weighs only 76 kg, his game is clear proof that dynamite undoubtedly comes in small packages.
“It was special to play at Loftus and very nice to win. We knew that the first 20 minutes of the game would be a tough story, but our forwards definitely provided momentum,” said Arendse.
The Springboks play New Zealand away from home next Saturday. The showdown starts at 09:05 and the action is broadcast live on SuperSport.
Players now also traveling to New Zealand:
Forwards: Thomas du Toit, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden and Duane Vermeulen.
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, André Esterhuizen, Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinhach, Damian Willemse and Grant Williams.
