Johan Ackermann: Pieter-Steph du Toit the standout in clinical Bok team performance

Job done!

It was always going to be a tough one first up; there was pressure on the Springboks and plenty of expectation, and taking on Scotland in the opening game was never going to be easy. They’re a tough team and there was no opportunity to ease into it.

So, for me, it was a very efficient and clinical first-up performance by the Boks. Yes, Scotland had their moments and it was only 6-3 at the break, but realistically, the Scots never really threatened the Boks, and one never got the feeling they were on top or would cause an upset.

Simply put, the Boks were pretty much in control the whole time.

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It was intense; you could almost feel both teams knew the importance of the match and the consequences of losing it. There were nerves on both sides and errors were made, but let’s give the Boks credit … they played like a team and the players backed each other up.

Boks’ defensive breakdown play

They were well organised and clinical in most areas; their physicality, as we expected, was too much for the Scots. The Boks were good in the set-piece, especially in the scrums, and both sets of front rows can feel good about themselves today; they scrummed superbly.

The Boks’ defensive breakdown play was outstanding, the major highlight for me. The pressure they put on Scotland was massive, and the line speed at the back was also very good … it was Bok strength versus Scottish flair, and there was always going to be only one winner.

To keep a team down to scoring just the one penalty kick over 80 minutes is impressive and when it’s the number five team in the world, wow, what a performance!

The Boks didn’t allow Scotland to play. They shut Finn Russell down and they didn’t allow the Scots’ biggest weapons, their wings Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe, any space or time to get involved … and when they did do something the Boks worked so hard to back each other up and shut them down. The Boks had to scramble at times in the first half, something they did well … another sign of players working for each other.

The one down side was maybe the fact there was not great fluency and cohesion in the Boks’ attacking play, but that will come the more they keep on playing together.

Pieter-Steph du Toit

For me, this was a big team effort by the Boks, and it’s almost not fair to single out any players, but I’m going to do just that on this occasion, because this player deserves a special mention.

It wasn’t too long ago that we were all worried about the health and well-being of Pieter-Steph du Toit and if he’d ever get back to his best form. And let’s be honest, for a while he was off the pace, but as the World Cup has got closer he’s got better and better.

Fortunately Du Toit is now right back up there again. He was outstanding against Scotland, in every single department, and we can now say he is properly back to his best!

Overall, it was a good, structured Bok team performance and getting the win is all that matters. The foundation has been laid and now the Boks can look forward to the rest of the World Cup with plenty of belief and encouragement.