Boks should be applauded for spectacular all-round effort

It was a superb all-round team performance that powered the Springboks to an impressive 30-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, with some sparkling performances from a number of players.

A powerful display from Eben Etzebeth saw him pick up the Man of the Match award, putting in a great performance in the lineout while also carrying the ball tirelessly, making a lot of ground and putting in some big hits which included a particularly memorable one on Scottish flyhalf Finn Russell.

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Etzebeth was thrilled with the second-half fight back and was looking forward to a bit of a celebration before the Boks turned their focus to the final game of their end-of-year-tour against England.

“I think it’s always nice to come here – awesome stadium, awesome people and lots of South Africans here,” said Etzebeth.

“It was a tough first half, but we just kept to the structures, showed some patience and we came back in the second half.

“It is going to be a massive challenge (the next match). Obviously we will celebrate tonight and then tomorrow we start looking at England.”

Etzebeth may have shone, but there were a number of players who could have picked up the Man of the Match, with flyer Makazole Mapimpi showing his finishing prowess to run in two tries, while inside centre Damian de Allende was immense on attack and defence, and captain Siya Kolisi continued his fine form.

Other players who stood out included eighthman Duane Vermeulen putting in another big shift, outside centre Lukhanyo Am making a nuisance of himself on defence and at the breakdowns, and right wing Jesse Kriel, who was superb on defence, making a number of telling hits including an important one on Duhan van der Merwe in the first half.

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Both Bok front rows were also immense on the day, with Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane putting in a massive 40 minute shift, before Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch picked up the baton.

Both front rows smashed the Scottish scrum throughout, while all six players carried well when receiving the ball, and Kitshoff and Marx made a couple of telling contributions at the breakdown in the second half.

Only two players seemed to struggle for the Boks, with fullback Willie le Roux producing another under-par showing and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies also not impressing again.