Johan Ackermann: High fives for Ox, Koch … but England will rue basic errors

Phew … what a game, one the Springboks will feel they were somewhat fortunate to win, but there were some key moments that got them over the line, so well done to them. The Boks are in the final, and that’s all that matters right now.

I said before the very first match, against Scotland, that it is virtually impossible to go seven weeks maintaining the same intensity and high standard of play and that somewhere along the way there will be a dip in form and the team will struggle … and it happened on Saturday night against England.

The fortunate thing is the Boks were able to still win the game.

The Boks really battled in the conditions, especially in the first half … England won the scrums, they dominated the lineouts, they won the aerial battle; the Boks gave away penalties, and when they did get a chance to have a shot at goal, they opted to kick to touch.

The Boks were poor, but they hung in there and were at least still in the game at half-time.

Key moments

And while the second half went pretty much the same way as the first 40, there were a few crucial moments, or errors by England, in that period that cost them.

Firstly, England lost a lineout close to the Boks’ tryline because of a crooked throw in the 44th minute, and the Boks were able to exit.

Then, from that scrum, the Boks kicked out on the 22m line and England again had an attacking lineout, but the ball slipped out of Jamie George’s hands, allowing the Boks to win the turn-over and clear their lines again.

And not long after that, the Boks won a scrum penalty on their own 5m line to again get out of trouble.

And finally, England fullback Freddie Steward will be ruing not kicking long late on in the game, but rather an up-and-under, from which he knocked the ball on and a scrum was awarded to the Boks. And from that, England were again pinged, allowing Handre Pollard to show all his class and composure in slotting the winning penalty. He’d also minutes earlier kicked a great touch-finder, also from a scrum penalty, that resulted in RG Snyman’s try.

Fine margins

It all changed for the Boks when the bench-sitters entered the action, with Ox Nche and Vincent Koch bringing a change in momentum in the scrums.

That was the major difference … and England making some basic errors of judgement in the latter stages of such a tight match. The margins are just so small at the highest level.

It was not a good day for the Boks, but they got the win … and hopefully that is their bad game now out of the way.

England will be hurting; they played almost the perfect game against the Boks and in the conditions.

We’re obviously all happy the Boks are in the final again, but they will have to find a way to lift themselves up this week; the forwards especially will have to be a lot better against the All Blacks, because that’s the only area where you can rattle them, and where you have to take them on.

If you don’t win that battle up front and the All Blacks get momentum, like they did against Argentina, it’s going to be a tough 80 minutes for the Boks.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Faf de Klerk and Pollard started the final and if the Boks went with a 6-2 bench split. But let’s see what the coaches decide … for now let’s enjoy the fact the Boks are in a World Cup final once again.