Puma Joy - Bok Crisis

Historic day for Argentina

1     This was Argentina’s first-ever victory over South Africa, and they deserved the win all the way from kick-off to final whistle. It was a display of vigorous energy, passionate commitment, and moments of wonderful skill. Their defence was tight, with the Boks denied time and space, starved of quickly recycled ball, and smashed back in collisions.

2     With the Pumas backline making little or no impact against the All Blacks and Wallabies, six of the seven who started against the Wallabies were dropped, and bringing in new six new backs paid off bigtime against the Springboks, with all four tries scored by their backline. Tomas Cubelli, Juan Imhoff, and Marcelo Bosch were outstanding.

3     Loosehead Marcos Ayerza had a major influence on the game, showing why he is so highly rated by Argentina and Leicester Tigers. No wonder the Tigers have just given him a testimonial year.

4     Had flyhalf  Juan Martin Hernandez goaled the two first half penalties he would normally have expected to goal without problem, and had his drop goal attempt not shaved the wrong side of the left upright, Argentina’s win would have been even more decisive.

5     Keep an eye on flank Pablo Matera at the World Cup. He made his Test debut at age 19 in 2013, played the game of his life on Saturday, and could be a hero for Los Pumas for many years to come.

Sad day for South Africa

1      It is not often that one sees a Springbok team so indecisive, so beaten for initiative, energy, and urgency, unable to adapt, failing to recycle efficiently at breakdown, making so many unforced errors, conceding soft tries where tries should not have been on, especially from set-phase, and unable to break the shackles of the opponents’ efforts to deny them time and space.

2     It was such a shambles that not even Jean de Villiers, the master of composure as captain, could change the mindset and stop the team’s descent into near panic.

3     Is any Springbok (besides perhaps Lood de Jager and Schalk Burger) happy with his performance?

4     Vincent Koch is a powerful prop but the penalties he concedes in scrums may cost him selection for the World Cup. Fortunately, Jannie du Plessis and Frans Malherbe will be the World Cup frontline tightheads.

5     For the fourth consecutive game Ruan Pienaar and Handre Pollard have failed to convince as individuals and as a pair. Heyneke Meyer needs to revisit his refusal to give other players a chance to start in the 9 and 10 jerseys.

6     Willie le Roux does exciting things on attack occasionally, but he makes too many entirely unforced errors for a Test fullback. Would you bet against Francois Steyn or Patrick Lambie ending up with the 15 jersey?