Class is permanent, form is temporary

So it is Monday, the day after a heart-wrenching day of Springbok rugby and where all I read and hear is how great Wales were and yes they were pretty good. But there is no sentiment in RWC, there is a scoreboard and that is the only score that matters. If the Boks had lost, G-D forbid, I am sure it would have been “Old Boks lose to rampant and resurgent Wales”.

But I remind you again that the scoreboard reads SA 17 Wales 16. Reportedly for 10 months the Welsh team have focused on this match, they zoned in on this match and it was crucial to their planning for the pool progression. The Welsh team brought everything and the kitchen sink to this match and still fell short. Write it and tell it as you will, the Welsh fell short. The international media have been praising the Welsh and again I emphasise that the Welsh were a good team on the day and calling the Boks victory more luck than anything else. I think that is so unfair and unjust.

Many international coaches would give anything to have 815 caps on the field. It was these 815 (maybe 760 caps) by the time Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers left the paddock that added to the victory. That kept the ship steady for the powerful Bismarck du Plessis and exciting Francois Hougaard to come on and change the game. I recognise that after two or three shocking attempts at bench management Peter de Villiers finally got it right, the bench came on and did a great job.

We won this game with Matfield, Bakkies Botha and De Villiers off the field and Fourie du Preez and Jacque Fourie having quite shocking games by their standards. Juxtaposed to this the Welsh dragons were playing like the fire the dragons blast out.

I never forget the late Barry Lambert saying Sean Fitzpatrick’s All Blacks were masters of doing just what they needed to do to win each Test and this was in between World Cups. Yesterday the Springboks did all they needed to do to win the Test match they scored one more point than the opposition — onward and upward Boks, go and win the group. I know that Peter De Villiers must have been a happier coach this morning. If I was Warren Gatland I would be rather concerned that for 10 months my chargers did everything they could and still lost … at the end of the day class is permanent and form is temporary, the Boks have the cup, you want it come and get it. This team is clearly not relinquishing it without a mammoth fight! Very well done to the warriors in green and gold.

Ke nako Boks!