‘We had to dig deep,’ says Krappie about Boks’ fightback from Ellis Park loss to series triumph
The Springboks had to go back to their DNA after losing their RGR opener, before winning the next three Tests to clinch the series against the All Blacks.
Morné van den Berg, the scrumhalf for the Springboks, spoke passionately about the team's determination after their opening loss to the All Blacks. The New Zealand team had built momentum by defeating three of South Africa's URC franchises, before overcoming the hosts 33-16, in the first Test at Ellis Park. However, the All Blacks faced a setback as they lost the series 3-1, with the Boks defeating them 33-26, 29-24 and 43-28 in Cape Town, Soweto and Baltimore respectively.
Van den Berg, affectionately known as Krappie, didn't feature in the first Test, but played twice off the bench and then started in the USA. He attributed the team's success to going back to their DNA, sticking to their game model and capitalizing on favorable calls, including a yellow card decision that went their way. Van den Berg's 37-minute cameo in Soweto also earned him his start in the final game, where he delivered a standout performance, earning him the man-of-the-match award.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
