Nick Mallett has praised Manie Libbok for his performance off the bench in the Springboks’ record-breaking 43-10 victory over the All Blacks in Wellington.
The Boks bounced back from a 24-17 defeat at Eden Park with a stunning win at the Cake Tin, handing New Zealand the heaviest defeat in their history.
Trailing 10-7 at half time, the world champions scored 36 unanswered points in the second half to secure a bonus-point victory that blew the Rugby Championship title race wide open.
Coach Rassie Erasmus made seven changes to his starting XV from Auckland, including a new-look backline featuring Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf, Damian Willemse at inside centre and Ethan Hooker on the left wing for his first Test start.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu left the field in the 18th minute, with Libbok taking over at flyhalf and guiding the team superbly.
“What really impressed me about Manie’s performance was that, in the second half, he didn’t overplay,” said Mallett on the Talking Boks podcast. “We scored five tries, but not by running from our 22 – we kicked smart, contestable kicks and kept turning them. He managed that balance exceptionally well.
“He came on when the pack had us on the front foot – Jasper [Wiese] was making metres, Pieter-Steph [du Toit] was carrying, the lineout was operating properly, and once Wilco Louw was on the scrum was dominant – and Manie steered us superbly in those conditions.
“In that period, his tactical kicking and decision-making were excellent: when the ruck ball was quick and we had momentum, we moved it; when it wasn’t, we kicked contestables. That balance was spot-on.”
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Mallett said the Boks’ win was “one of the most historic” in their history and hailed their balance and precision after a nervy start.
“There was just no aspect of our game that was poor,” he said. “We were outstanding in intensity, defensive work rate, aerial domination, winning the kicking game, getting across the advantage line with ball-carries and, crucially, taking our opportunities in the second half.
“We were disrupted by four injuries in the first half, but it looked seamless. Grant Williams went to the wing and made two brilliant defensive plays on Will Jordan, and when Andre Esterhuizen came on he was sensational. There wasn’t a single player in the 23 who let the team down.”
Mallett highlighted the emergence of a new generation of Boks and said Erasmus’ selection gamble had been vindicated.
“If you’d said six months ago we’d play New Zealand without Eben Etzebeth, Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende or Jesse Kriel, people would have said it was risky. But this showed just how much talent we have coming through. We’ve got lots of depth, and it’s being coached outstandingly well.”
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Mallett was especially impressed by the backline’s fluidity and the impact of Willemse and Hooker.
“Damian Willemse was magnificent – he brought playmaking, physicality, stepping, offloading and strength. He said he’d been losing confidence, but if you don’t get it back after that performance, you never will.”
“And Ethan Hooker – everyone said ‘now you’ll see the step up [from the URC]’ – but he looked born to play Test rugby. Every time he got the ball, he beat players, made metres, and was excellent under the high ball. He was absolutely outstanding.”
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Mallett said the combination of front-foot ball, smart decision-making and sharp finishing made the Boks almost unstoppable.
“Our forwards were getting over the advantage line, our set pieces were dominant, and our backs were clinical. It was poetry. To do that to a well-organised All Blacks side is seismic – I don’t know how their coaching staff are going to pick them up after taking 43 points.”
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He added that Erasmus is unlikely to stick rigidly to this selection despite the emphatic win.
“Looking ahead, I don’t think Rassie will be conventional just because this team played so well. He’ll use around 30 players over the next two games to get the best out of the squad. We’re in the pound seats now – and if we play anywhere near this level, Argentina won’t live with us.”
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The Boks host Los Pumas in Durban on 27 September before the teams meet again at Twickenham on 4 October.
Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
