By Adnaan Mohamed
For the second week in a row, the Springboks walked into a northern-hemisphere storm and refused to be blown over.
Another early red card, another No 5 lock gone, yet the world champions simply bent, adjusted and found a new way to win, beating Italy 32–14 in Turin with the kind of grit that can only be forged in chaos.
Franco Mostert’s 12th-minute red card echoed Lood de Jager’s fate against France a week earlier. Same number on the jersey. Same sinking moment. Same response: the Boks shifted shape like a scrum rearranging itself in a gale, and played as though the missing man had simply been absorbed into their collective heartbeat.
Captain Siya Kolisi said the team has learned to solve problems while sprinting.
“We went through it last weekend, and this week we went through the same thing. So, we make plans in the game as we go along because such things happen,” he said.
“The biggest thing that we were asked this week is to show our ‘Africanness’ and that’s about making plans because there are always stumbles… They (the coaches) are always prepared for any scenario, and even the guys who are not playing sit and make plans and decisions.”
Kolisi admitted the emotional sting was real:
“It doesn’t make it easy for us… seeing a guy like Franco sitting there, we could see the hurt in his eyes. But I really love the way this team is able to stand up and fight.”
Rassie Erasmus, visibly exasperated, didn’t hide his frustration.
“It is what it is. What I say can’t make a difference,” he said. “It’s sad that our captain had to make that sacrifice twice in a week.”
The Bok coach questioned how much lower a two-metre lock can physically tackle.
“Losing two locks in two games now for going lower than they can go… it’s tough to understand,” Erasmus said. “We don’t know how to coach guys to go lower, especially when someone is on his knees.”
Yet amid the frustration, he applauded his team’s ability to morph on demand.
“Yes, we have a way to adapt,” he said. “That certainly makes us tighter as a team… I’m happy with the result, but still sad for the players who have to take the brunt for something that happened by accident.”
Three wins from three, two red cards navigated, and a squad that keeps inventing new ways to survive the storm. The Boks now head to Ireland, hardened once more by fire and fallout.
Featured Photo: Andre Esterhuizen/ https://x.com/springboks
