Nick Mallett lauded the “remarkable resilience” of the Springboks after the 14-man world champions beat France in Paris.
The Boks suffered a huge blow on Saturday night when lock Lood de Jager received a straight red card just before the break for a shoulder-to-the head tackle on France fullback Thomas Ramos. Yet they went on to outscore the hosts 19-3 in the second half to claim a memorable 32-17 win.
“It was one of the finest performances from the Boks this year – right up there with our game away to New Zealand and that second-half performance against Argentina,” said Mallett on the Talking Boks podcast.
“The second half was courageous, brave and really intelligent. We kept the ball in the air, carried with venom and our pack stood up.”
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Mallett questioned the match officials’ decision to give De Jager a straight red.
“To say it was ‘always illegal from the start’ felt harsh. Lood’s right arm is trying to wrap and Ramos is falling after the previous tackle.
“It all happened very quickly. I thought the bunker might upgrade it to a red with a replacement after 20 minutes, but instead the assistants seemed to push for a permanent red.
“That was a tough call at that point in the game. And if it’s considered that dangerous, you do wonder why the ball-carrier didn’t go off for an HIA.”
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With Test centurion Siya Kolisi replaced at the break and the Boks down to 14, Mallett singled out the substitutions and set piece for flipping the contest.
“Our bench timing really worked for us, especially the front row. The moment we had scrum dominance, and with two fresh locks on, we got stronger and France got weaker.
“André Esterhuizen came in and fitted seamlessly as that hybrid player – a flank on our ball and defending in the backline if needed.
“Those three tries in the last 20-odd minutes came off the bench impact and scrum dominance.”
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Mallett highlighted the backline versatility that underpinned the finish.
“Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] moving from flyhalf to fullback seamlessly, Manie [Libbok] coming on and, despite a charge-down or a miss, immediately looking for the next opportunity.”
Looking broader, he said the Boks’ mindset sets them apart.
“This team keeps winning when things go against them – even down to 14 at half time. The resilience, team spirit, the South Africanness of the group – playing for values bigger than themselves – is remarkable.
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“I’m starting to think we shouldn’t be worrying too much about Ireland now. They were beaten comfortably by New Zealand, and we put 40-odd on New Zealand in Wellington at our best.
“For me it’s about how Rassie [Erasmus] manages the squad, who gets opportunities, when [Handré] Pollard comes in, and whether we can maintain the level with rotation. Even without Ox [Nché], our pack was comfortably better than France’s away from home.
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“There’s so much self-confidence – not arrogance, self-confidence – and hard work. I’m moving towards the view that we’re going to win these games; the question is by how much.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
