Disaster for Rassie’s Boks in DC as Du Preez fluffs his lines

Robert du Preez’s Test debut turned to torture with a horror final few minutes costing the Springboks victory against Wales in Washington DC. 

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’s international coaching debut proved equally inglorious.

Perspective is pertinent even if it can’t mask another awful Test match experience for South Africa against Wales.

The Welsh have now beaten the Springboks in the last three successive Tests, with three different Springbok coaches in charge. Previously, in a hundred years, Wales had won just once against the Springboks.

The perspective is that the Boks were together for only two training sessions. Equally, the reality is the depth and quality of South Africa’s reserve strength did not match the pre-match goodwill or hype because this Welsh team put the A into Awful more than the Awesome.

And if Wales were awful, that tells you everything about the quality of the Boks’s performance.

What a poor Test match played between two teams whose performance screamed second string.

Wales won 22-20 after Du Preez, in the space of a minute, twice had kicks charged down. The second charge down led to the match winning try on 77 minutes.

Du Preez, a late introduction for starting flyhallf Elton Jantjies, ironically had kicked the penalty to give the Springboks a 20-17 lead with his first action of the match on 75 minutes. Yet from the restart Du Preez fluffed his lines.

There will be better days for Du Preez in Test rugby, but Washington DC will always be a reminder of the small margins that define Test match results.

Wales led 14-3 at halftime in a first half that would have had many a South African turning the television off and heading to bed.

Both teams were on a hiding to nothing because this was a match that shouldn’t have enjoyed Test status. In fact, it was a match that shouldn’t have been played.

Wales were fielding a second string line-up and the Springboks, as a team, trained together for the first time on Monday. A draw would have been a fair reflection.

But sport isn’t always about rewarding fairness – and Du Preez, more than anyone, will attest to this sentiment.

The Boks were enthusiastic in the first 15 minutes, awful in the next 25 and improved in the second half. The substitutes, especially among the forwards, made an impact. The front row was stronger, lock Marvin Orie was influential and hooker Akker van der Merwe was dynamic.

The Boks grew stronger on the hour and when Du Preez edged them ahead 20-17 the game seemed safe. All the Boks needed was calm on the kick-off receive and good exit into the Welsh half to ensure the men in red would have to chase the game in the final two minutes.

If only!

The Boks were unsure in the gather, Du Preez rushed a kick into the Welsh instead of over them. The Boks regathered, there was greater control in the delivery to Du Preez, but he took an eternity to clear and the kick was again charged down.

Wales scored and despite Gareth Anscombe missing the conversion, the Boks weren’t good enough to keep the ball and force a match-winning penalty in the final moments of a Test that separated the pretenders from the contenders for the England series.

And on balance, there were far more pretenders than contenders.

Scorers:

Wales

Tries: Amos, Williams, Elias

Conversions: Anscombe (2)

Penalty: Anscombe

Springboks

Tries: Ismaiel, Mapimpi

Conversions: Jantjies (2)

Penalties: Jantjies, Du Preez

Teams:

South Africa

15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Robert du Preez, 23 Warrick Gelant

Wales

15 Hallam Amos, 14 Tom Prydie, 13 George North, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Steff Evans, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Ellis Jenkins (captain), 6 Seb Davies, 5 Cory Hill, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Nicky Smith

Substitutes: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Rhodri Jones, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Hadleigh Parkes