Lions in SA
Mallett hails Bok tenacity
2009-06-28 18:24
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Nick Mallett (Gallo Images)
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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writerPretoria – Fresh from overseeing a spirited Italian defeat to the All Blacks, former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has lauded South Africa’s securing of the Test series against the British and Irish Lions at Loftus.
Writing in the UK’s Sunday Telegraph, Mallett also feared a lengthy suspension for Springbok flank Schalk Burger after his alleged eye-gouging incident, saying it could be “as much as 24 weeks”.
Should the Boks clean-sweep the series in Johannesburg, he said, they can be hailed as one of the “very best” to wear the green and gold.
“They have stuck together since the victorious World Cup campaign and they showed again in this second Test how resilient and tenacious they have become.
“Springbok fans will not care how the team won. The Lions may have been toppled by only three points but the big thing for South Africans is to win. It always has been and always will be.
“A draw would have been a fair score and one which would have kept the series alive. The Lions did not deserve to lose after such a magnificent effort … John Smit and his men will not care. They say that winning teams make their own luck.”
Mallett said the experienced Bok players deserved full credit for the way they engineered a fightback from 16-5 down.
“Full marks go to Smit, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana, who was always looking for work out wide.
“The same cannot be said for Schalk Burger. Having guided Italian forward Mauro Bergamasco through a similar offence, I would estimate that the Bok flanker is headed for a suspension of at least 12 weeks. It could be as much as 24.”
Mallett also described second-half substitute Jaque Fourie as a “class” player.
“The way he took his try was very impressive. Only a very good athlete can navigate his way down the touchline and manage to keep his body in play. He knew exactly what he was doing.”