Aussies in World XV
It was fun to watch the Springboks play the World XV in Cape Town
It was like old times watching Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield running around for the Boks, Schalk Burger back in Bok colours for the first time since the 2011 RWC, and James O’Connor, Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau, the World XV skipper, playing together again. All the Aussies played well enough: Giteau showed glimpses of his Toulon form and JOC put on some of his “Artful Dodger” moves.
The World team were the first to score a try. They looked handy in the first half and had a lot of territory but lacked the combinations to capitalise on the several chances they hand in the Boks’ 22.
Schalk Burger – back in Springbok colours
The Boks, who had eight players from foreign clubs, were expecting a Baa-Baas-type game but the World XV were in earnest and surprised the home team with their structured play. The Boks were ahead 18-13 at the break but looked out of sorts.
The World XV wasn’t so good in the second half and a couple of maul tries took the hosts out of reach.
Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia) got a yellow card early in the second half which surprised nobody at all. Reserve Jimmy Cowan (NZ) got a card too after seven minutes of rugby with seven minutes to go in the game. As commentator Matt Pearce said: “It’s a long way to come to Cape Town for seven minutes.”
It was not a bad hit-out for the Springboks who play two tests against Wales and another against Scotland in the next three weeks but coach Heyneke Meyer will be concerned about the scrums because a a few of them were walking backwards.
