Plucky Portugal outgunned by belligerent Boks in Bloemfontein in historic first Test

Bok flank Phepsi Buthelezi enjoyed a strong debut against Portugal. (Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

20 Jul 2024

Despite one red card and two yellow cards, the Springboks ran out 64-21 winners over Portugal in Bloemfontein.

Bloemfontein dished up a celebration of rugby as a 14-man Springbok team, as expected, romped to a comfortable 64-21 victory over Portugal.

Wing Makazole Mapimpi scored a hat-trick and the Boks produced 10 tries in total. But the other side of the ledger was that Portugal showed the value of giving tier-two nations opportunities.

Portugal, the darling of Rugby World Cup 2023, contributed massively to a match that put a smile on the face at times thanks to the adventure, skill and passion on display. It showed that Os Lobos have a decent foundation to grow into a strong team if they are given more opportunities at this level.

Their willingness to take the fight to the Boks, and their enterprise, all made for an enjoyable spectacle. Despite the final score, the Boks had to play some excellent rugby to score as many points as they did.

For Bok coach Rassie Erasmus this match probably served its purpose. The defence was tested, the pack had to work hard, and the backline was able to dip a little deeper into attack coach Tony Brown’s playbook.

And to cap it, several players, asked to take their chance in the jersey, did just that. Now it’s up to Erasmus to decide who from this group will make the cut for the Rugby Championship.

Flank Ben-Jason Dixon's intense work rate was a feature of the Springboks' performance. (Photo: Charle Lombard / Gallo Images)

Poor discipline

The visitors were passionate from the outset, and they took the game to the Boks. They made a dream start with the opening try of the game, and continued to fight until the end despite being ground down by the Boks’ physicality.

The Boks’ poor discipline saw them play 78 minutes with 14 men, after a red card for centre André Esterhuizen in the second minute, and a further 20 minutes with 13 men, after more yellow cards for Kurt-Lee Arendse and debutant Quan Horn.

Despite their problems, the Boks, with seven uncapped players, showed off the adventure that they’ve been working towards.

Read more: Expect the Boks and visiting Portugal to serve up a dish of panache and skill in Bloemfontein

Admittedly, this match was not as claustrophobic as those in the recent series against Ireland. But even so, the Boks looked to play with ambition and flair even after losing Esterhuizen.

Reserve flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced a sparkling half hour of brilliant rugby. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

New generation

The Boks’ impressive attacking game was underpinned by a strong foundation, with the pack providing the necessary muscle for the new generation of ball-players to strut.

Locks RG Snyman and captain Salmaan Moerat, prop Thomas du Toit, hooker Johan Grobbelaar and flank Ben-Jason Dixon were excellent.

Behind them Libbok pulled the strings well initially, although he will be nervously looking over his shoulder at Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who delivered a sumptuous 31 minutes.

The Stormers starlet demonstrated his running, kicking and thinking strengths, creating tries, unlocking the defence, and generally causing havoc for the brave Portuguese defence. Feinberg-Mngomezulu is quite simply the entire package.

It does raise the question of what might have happened if the Boks had 15 men on the field for the full 80 minutes, but in hindsight, Erasmus’s team might have learnt more from the adversity caused by their own ill discipline.

Springbok centre André Esterhuizen was red-carded in the second minute for a dangerous tackle on José Lima. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

Bad start

The Springboks could not have made life harder for themselves than they needed to, thanks to ill discipline and early kicking woes by flyhalf Manie Libbok. Libbok landed just two of five kicks at goal.

Read more: Moerat captaincy call highlights Boks’ shift towards younger leadership generation

Esterhuizen’s high tackle on Portugal centre José Lima led to a red card after a bunker review. Perhaps Esterhuizen was unlucky because the initial contact appeared to be shoulder-to-shoulder. But then their heads clashed from the whiplash. Lima was knocked out cold. Given the force and almost no change in height, referee Hollie Davidson’s yellow card was upgraded on review.

That put the Boks on the back foot straight away, and it got worse minutes later when Portugal went almost the length of the field for a famous score, to take the lead against the world champions.

Bok No 8 Evan Roos lost the ball in contact close to Portugal’s line, and Os Lobos pounced with the excellent transition game.

Replacement centre José Santos rounded off the move that sent the vocal Portuguese contingent on the stands into raptures.

With the Boks down to 14 and slightly rattled, there was a fleeting moment of horror that the most remarkable upset might be possible.

Bok flank Phepsi Buthelezi enjoyed a strong debut against Portugal. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

The help of older heads

But captain Moerat, with the help of older heads in Lukhanyo Am and Du Toit, pulled the team together under the sticks. And they restarted with intent and composure.

Five tries followed before halftime, with impressive loosehead Jan-Hendrik Wessels scoring on debut after a lineout close to the line.

The Boks used the rolling maul again when flank Phepsi Buthelezi marked his Test debut with a try minutes later.

Fullback Apelele Fassi then created a try for Arendse when he collected a deep kick from Portugal, ran it back, ghosted through two tackles before chipping beautifully for the wing to run on to. It was Arendse’s fifteenth try in his eighteenth Test.

When Dixon powered over from close range soon after and Am scored from a Libbok line break just before halftime, it took the game away from Os Lobos.

The Boks continued to play aggressively and cohesively as the replacement bench was used liberally and Mapimpi revelled.

The decorated wing scored three tries in 30 minutes to take his Test tally to 30 tries in his 43rd Test, putting him fourth on the all-time try-scoring list.

Portugal refused to give up though, and added two fine second-half tries from Santos again, as well as flank José Madeira, to leave a deserved mark on the occasion. DM

Scorers:

South Africa – Tries: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Phepsi Buthelezi, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Ben-Jason Dixon, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi (3), Quan Horne, Andre-Hugo Venter. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (5).

Portugal – Tries: José Santos (2), José Madeira. Conversions: Joris Moura, Domingos Cabral (2).

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South Africa

Poor discipline

New generation

Bad start

The help of older heads

Scorers: