Heyneke Meyer pleased with performance – Rugby News Update
Heyneke Meyer, the 44-year-old head coach of South Africa, was pleased with the performance of his team, after they beat the touring England team 22 – 17 in the first test at Durban.
England, coached by Stuart Lancaster, is currently on tour in the southern hemisphere to play a three-match test series against the Springboks, along with playing two other midweek games. Having lost the first test, they are preparing to play the South African
Barbarians (South) on Wednesday, to give his fringe players a run out.
Speaking about the match in the midweek, Lancaster was happy that it will provide a good work out before the second-test.
"We need the midweek boys to pitch up and play well, put pressure on us and make sure we have got some good selection decisions to make," Lancaster said.
However, Meyer was particularly pleased with his forwards pack, who took the match away from the visitors in the second-half. He admitted that there were concerns about the scrum-half battle before the test, but he was pleased with the way his team came
on top.
"Willem Alberts and the loose forwards were brilliant and also our scrum - which was an area we were worried about - was brilliant," he told
The Rugby Paper.
England took the early lead in the 6th minute through Owen Farrell, as he converted a penalty kick. Morne Steyn, the South African player levelled up in the 14th minute, as the two teams went into half-time at 6 – 6. After the break
though, it was all South Africa.
Meyer said, "The plan was always to open up the game in the second-half. Jean was brilliant at half-time. I just said to the forwards, it's not good enough and they need to get more stuck in. I wanted them to up the tempo and they responded very well."
The plan worked wonders as on the 47th minute, Morne Steyn scored a try, and Jean de Villiers scored another on 59 minutes, making it 16 – 6.
After that the visiting team had no answer and the Springboks ran comfortable 22 – 17 winners at the end.
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