Jake White's tenure as Springbok coach started with a two-nil whitewash of Ireland, after the Boks brilliantly buried the Irish with another outstanding performance -- beating the visitors by 26-17 in the second Test at Newlands in Cape Town. It was far more emphatic than the scoreline suggests.
The Boks showed some of the old-fashioned character that made previous Bok teams such fearful foes, putting the Irish under pressure in the set pieces and hitting them hard in the tackle.
As captain John Smit said afterwards, it was always going to be the game where the team that took its chances were going to win. The Boks kept the Irish under pressure with some exceptionally brave defence and then scored two outstanding tries from turnover ball -- taking those rare opportunities that come in these tight games.
The Irish certainly had their moments, and their opportunities, but the number of times they were forced to kick proved just how solid the South Africans were on defence on Saturday.
There is still work for the Boks to do, granted, but if they keep building on these two performances and show the same kind of grit they did at Newlands, the team will be back to the top of the rugby world sooner rather than later.
This team has the making of a truly great outfit and with players like Jaco van der Westhuyzen (at fly-half) and Percy Montgomery (fullback) back in the fold the creative abilities are there.
The Irish will be disappointed that they conceded an early lead and allowed the Boks to build a comfortable 13-point lead in the first half, but after the break the tourists looked more like the outfit that put England away in the Six Nations.
They too have some great backline players and a solid pack, but the Irish will have to learn that rugby is played for 80 minutes and that 40 minutes of comeback rugby is not going to win you too many games.
It was the kind of start the Irish had wanted, when they went 7-0 up, but they let it slip all too easily.
After the canned noise (read canned fans) had died down, the players could get down to do what the 50,000 fans had paid to come and watch -- rugby. Why this obsession with American style pre-match hype, which certainly doesn't excite the crowd and is rather more irritating than entertaining?
But when the rugby started it was exciting enough to get the crowd into action, even though the Newlands faithful had to watch Ireland score first.
It came in the seventh minute, when a couple of Bok blunders saw the Irish get a line-out close to the South African line. They first mauled it up, then set up a ruck, before taking it up in the midfield, where they set up another ruck. With the Boks defence stretched to the limit the Irish spun the ball wide where Tyrone Howe had a free run to the line.
Ronan O'Gara added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
The Boks fans had to wait nine minutes before the home team opened their account, with a sweetly struck Montgomery penalty.
South Africa's next score was far more empathic and started with a brilliant line break by Montgomery, which turned into a Bok penalty. From a tap-and-go by scrum-half Fourie du Preez they set up a couple of quick rucks, before the ball was spun wide where the Irish had no defenders left.
Breyton Paulse beat the cover to the line for South Africa's first try. Montgomery added the conversion and a penalty five minutes later to make it 13-7 to the home team.
The Boks were now on the front foot and could have had another try from turn-over ball, in the 32nd minute, but a bit of selfish play by fly-half Van der Westhuyzen saw a certain try being murdered.
But it did not matter, as the Boks' brilliant counter attacking soon had the Irish on the rack again, when Montgomery broke the line again and the Boks set up a series of rucks which saw Brent Russell dart down the right and send Jaque Fourie over in the corner for the try.
Montgomery added the conversion to see South Africa take a commanding lead.
This try came while the Irish were down to 14 men, after prop Reggie Corrigan decided to pick on the smallest Springbok -- winger Breyton Paulse -- and was yellow carded for his cowardly punch.
On the stroke of half-time Irish fly-half Ronan O'Gsara slotted an opportunist drop-goal to see the Boks take a 10-point lead (20-10) into the break.
South Africa scored first in the second half, but not before withstanding a fierce Irish onslaught, which nearly resulted in a try.
But from a quick line-out and a huge punt downfield, the Boks applied pressure and were awarded a penalty -- which Montgomery slotted for a 23-10 lead.
As the game approached the final quarter the Boks were reduced to just 14 men, when centre Wayne Julies was yellow carded for a professional foul.
In this period the Boks conceded a try, when replacement fly-half David Humphreys grubbered the ball through the Bok line and Brian O'Driscoll grabbed it out of Montgomery's hands to score. The conversion by Humphreys narrowed the gap to just six points -- 23-17.
As the half progressed, the tension built and the Boks were made to defend more by a determined Irish outfit. But the Boks defence held and they turned the ball over several times or forced the visitors to kick -- with a near impenetrable wall of white facing the Irish.
And with time officially up on the clock, the Irish conceded a penalty inside their own 22. Montgomery slotted it to give the Boks victory and maintain their 100 percent home record over the Irish.
Man of the match: There was some very big hits by Marius Joubert in Midfield, some clever work by Wayne Julies on his inside and tactical brilliance by Jaco van der Westhuyzen. The Bok forwards did yeoman work, with Schalk Burger leaving his impression all over the park and on the game.. For Ireland Brian O'Driscoll and Kevin Maggs were always dangerous and the rest of their team as brave as ever. But the man that stood out for me was Bok fullback Percy Montgomery. His two line breaks that resulted in Bok tries were top class. There was the odd slip, but his return was worthy of a man of the match reward.
Moment of the match: It has to be the lead-up to Breyton Paulse's try in the 21st minute, which started by a brilliant break from Percy Montgomery. The Bok veteran announced his return in emphatic fashion. There were more, lots more, but this was the start of a great Bok win.
Villain of the match: This one has to go to Irish prop Reggie Corrigan for his cowardly punch on Breyton Paulse and the yellow card was just reward.
The Teams:
South Africa: 1 Eddie Andrews, 2 John Smit (c), 3 Os Du Randt, 4 Victor Matfield, 5 Quinton Davids, 6 Schalk Burger Jr., 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 8 Jacques Cronje, 9 Fourie Du Preez, 10 Jaco Van Der Westhuyzen, 11 Jaque Fourie, 12 Marius Joubert, 13 Wayne Julies, 14 Breyton Paulse, 15 Percy Montgomery
Reserves: Gerrie Britz, Brent Russell, C.J. Van Der Linde
Unused: Geo Cronje, Hanyani Shimange, Bolla Conradie, Gaffie Du Toit
Ireland: 1 John Hayes, 2 Shane Byrne, 3 Reggie Corrigan, 4 Malcolm O'Kelly, 5 Paul O'Connell, 6 Simon Easterby, 7 David Wallace, 8 Anthony Foley, 9 Peter Stringer, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 11 Tyrone Howe, 12 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 13 Kevin Maggs, 14 Shane Horgan, 15 Girvan Dempsey
Reserves: Guy Easterby, David Humphreys, Gavin Duffy, Marcus Horan, Donncha O'Callaghan, Alan Quinlan
Unused: Frankie Sheahan
Attendance: 45000
Referee: Jutge j.
Points Scorers:
South Africa
Tries: Paulse B.J. 1, Fourie J. 1
Conv: Montgomery P.C. 2
Pen K.: Montgomery P.C. 4
Ireland
Tries: O'Driscoll B.G. 1, Howe T.G. 1
Conv: O'Gara R.J.R. 1, Humphreys D.G. 1
Drop G.: O'Gara R.J.R. 1
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