Though they emerged emphatic 3-1 winners in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, there were no easy games and the Springboks were forced to fight fire with fire against a New Zealand outfit who never took a backward step, fullback Damian Willemse said.
After suffering a galling loss in the opening Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, the Boks regrouped to win the next three Tests in Cape Town, Soweto and Baltimore to lift the trophy emphatically.
“We knew it was going to be a tough series against New Zealand and I think the second game in Cape Town reflected that. The game in Soweto was also really close,” Willemse said.
“Baltimore was one we sort of ran away with, but only from maybe the 65th or 70th minute.
“Before that, at halftime there were only three points in it, and it stayed like that until about the 60th minute when we scored a try.
“So for us it wasn’t like we managed to run away with any game.
“I think from the start of the series to where we are now, we built our game and got better. That’s the thing that we are most proud about.
“We just want to win, and we want to win well at our standards, like we set out to do.
“In the first Test we really didn’t hit our straps; we were sloppy, the scrum wasn’t functioning really well, and we weren’t able to build momentum and finish opportunities.
“But as the series went on, we got better.”
Willemse said the Baltimore Test was in the balance until the Boks pulled away in front of 68,00 fans at the M&T Bank Stadium.
“It was a tough game, which we expected,” he said.
“Being 2-1 down, we knew they wanted to fire a shot and draw the series. But it was important how we reacted at halftime after they scored that try before the break.
“We stuck to our guns, made plans at halftime, and I am really proud of everyone in the team and the coaching staff for finding answers and coming out swinging.
“Especially after they got that penalty and were on our five-metre line. I think that was a big play in the game.
“All in all, we are just super stoked and happy with the series win. This really means a lot to us.”
Willemse said the team were grateful for the magnificent support they received in Baltimore.
“It was amazing, and we had a really great week in Baltimore,” he said.
“The people in the city are really friendly. They were delivering over the top for us; we settled in and had a great week of rugby prep.
“It was a good week for us as a team, and we definitely want to come back in the future.
“The stadium was amazing, the hospitality, the pitch, everything. So it was really good to be here in America.
“Hopefully we entertained the fans.
“It was a big game for us and we wanted to put on a show.
“That’s the ultimate thing; the fans pay a lot of money to come and watch us play, and I think this game was a great spectacle.
“It was number one against number two in the world going head-to-head in the series decider.
“The crowd brought the fire and we really enjoyed it. We certainly felt the vibe out there.”
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