Cape Town - One of the toughest tasks for a captain in Test rugby is to decide whether a penalty should be kicked at the posts for a possible three points, or to kick the ball out into the corner to set up a line-out and maul.
And when you are playing in driving rain, like the Springboks did in their 23-18 victory over Wales in Cardiff last weekend, it becomes an even bigger headache.
Bok skipper Siya Kolisi and Duane Vermeulen, who took over the captaincy later in the game, had to make a call on opting for a shot at goal or kick into the corner for a line-out 13 times at the Principality Stadium – six in the first half, and seven in the second.
Kolisi should perhaps have gone for the three points more often that he did, especially in the first half, considering the weather conditions and the Bok record in Cardiff, where they had last won in 2013 prior to Saturday’s match.
“Take the points” is one of the old adages in Test rugby, particularly in a tight game, but it seems that this Bok team are trying hard to not rely on three-pointers too much, and rather want to chase tries.
After the first two kickable penalties were slotted through the posts by Handre Pollard, Kolisi instructed the Bok flyhalf to kick a third penalty into the corner in the 22nd minute.
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The trademark driving maul was stopped, though, and a resultant Pollard cross-kick for Makazole Mapimpi was claimed by Wales out wide.
A minute later, another penalty was kicked into touch and the maul was stopped again by Wales, with flank Ellis Jenkins winning a breakdown penalty.
In the 36th minute, yet another Bok penalty was booted out for a line-out, with the maul halted again, and the South Africans lost the ball when Herschel Jantjies’ pass to Trevor Nyakane was intercepted by Jenkins.
Just before half-time, Pollard landed a three-pointer from over 40 metres out and at an angle to see the Boks trailing 12-9.
After the break, the visitors had a penalty just inside their half, on the angle, and it was kicked into the corner.
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The maul was again stopped, and Pollard’s up-and-under was caught by Josh Adams on the 22.
About 10 minutes later, Frans Steyn stepped up and blasted a 55-metre penalty through the uprights to reduce the deficit to 15-12.
A few minutes after that, Kolisi again pointed to the corner for a penalty just inside the Welsh half, where Steyn and Pollard would’ve had the distance.
Wales handled the Bok maul once more, and South Africa got another penalty in the same move, which Pollard sent through the posts to level at the scores at 15-15.
Eventually, the driving maul paid dividends in the 72nd minute, with Vermeulen telling referee Paul Williams to watch the Welsh maul defence carefully.
Malcolm Marx rumbled over, and the Boks were 20-18 up.
With three minutes left, another penalty was kicked into touch by Elton Jantjies, but the maul was stopped.
The Boks carried the ball for eight phases before Cobus Reinach was penalised for holding on.
In the last play of the game, Jantjies secured victory with a threepointer, but Kolisi will face further tough decisions in Saturday’s clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.
The Bok No 6 felt he was justified in going for the corner against Wales.
“Those line-outs were in the 15s (15-metre lines), and I felt like we were getting momentum with our maul, and that’s why they got a yellow card – because we were putting pressure on them in that part of the game,” Kolisi said.
“Obviously we didn’t take the opportunities when we got them, but it was the best decision at that time, and it did work out well at the end. When we had opportunities that were clear and obvious in front of the poles, we took the points.”
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber added: “A lot of people made reference to the bench when they came on and the impact that they had, but sometimes one forgets the … can I say the ‘poison’ that the starting guys put into the legs of the guys on the pitch, the opposition.
“So, every maul takes energy … And again, we didn’t use our opportunities, when we got 22-metre entries. But it still takes energy to stop those mauls, and that’s why we always try and say our bench work in tandem with the other guys.
“So, I thought the foundation laid by the guys that started opened up opportunities for the guys that came on.
“And obviously the guys who come on must utilise the work that the starters did for them, and they must kick on – which I thought happened (in this match).”
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