Humble and hardworking Boks back at work
The World Cup-winning Springboks took to the field with a swagger befitting world champions. There was no post-party World Cup hangover from the South Africans. It was quite the opposite in that there was absolute professionalism and potency in performance.
It didn’t matter where or for whom they were playing, these Springboks continue to make a statement of why they are the world’s best.
Siya Kolisi’s debut for Racing Metro matched the hype and fanfare. Earlier in the month, Marvin Orie had endeared himself to Perpignan fans by skipping the world champions’ country-wide celebration tour and playing for his new French club a week after the World Cup final.
Handre Pollard and Jasper Wiese were back in the Leicester match 23 a fortnight after the World Cup final and on Saturday the Stormers were the last of the South African teams to welcome back their World Cup winners in playing Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok and Deon Fourie against
Zebre in Stellenbosch.
Stormers tighthead prop Frans Malherbe has been given more time off after his immense workload throughout the World Cup and Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch and RG Snyman are injured and are unlikely to see action until the international season starts next June.
The core of the World Cup winners are all back in action in France’s Top 14, the United Rugby Championship and England’s Premiership. The Japanese-based World Cup-winning Boks are all with their clubs and preparing for the new season.
Departed World Cup-winning coach Jacques Nienaber this past week reported for duty as part of Leo Cullen’s Leinster coaching staff. Typical of Nienaber, it was straight to work. He is not one for fanfare or media hype. Members of the Leinster coaching staff and playing group were quoted as saying he arrived, said hello, got given a clap and was immediately sharing insights and data relevant to the squad and their next opponents.
Nienaber’s first day at the office was a week ago, but he had spent most of November doing his own analysis of his new club.
Pollard, at flyhalf for Leicester, is averaging 13 points a match this season, which is the leading statistic for points scorers in the league and Leicester’s coach confirmed the club’s desire for (Jasper) Wiese to renew his contract.
Wiese has been at Leicester for the past five years but his signature is in demand in France’s Top 14. French clubs have also been vocal about wanting to sign the Munster Bok lock (RG) Snyman, when he returns from injury and the French league has already got the prized asset of South Africa’s Munster lock Jean Kleyn for next season.
Kleyn has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Boks World Cup success. The former Stormers hard man left Cape Town seven years ago to join Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus at Munster. When Erasmus and Nienaber returned to South Africa to coach the Boks, Kleyn stayed in Ireland, served a three-year residency and played for Ireland at the 2019 World Cup in Japan. He was not picked for Ireland again and this allowed for him to be eligible for the Boks this year.
The veterans Eben Etzebeth (Sharks) and Willie le Roux (Bulls) put in big performances in their first URC matches and the Sharks utility back Grant Williams played as if he had not missed a match in the past two months.
Coaches I have spoken to have raved about the attitude of the returning Boks, the leadership that they have brought back to the squads and how little arrogance there is among the players. They have arrived with confidence and humility and many of the younger and internationally inexperienced players have returned with a transformative maturity.
Christmas, for those South African URC coaches, has come early with the gift of world champion players.