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Durban - Pat Lambie's first game back for the Springboks on Saturday went as well as coach Allister Coetzee had hoped.
Concussed on June 11 against Ireland in what was Coetzee's first match in charge of the Boks, Lambie spent three-and-a-half months on the sidelines recovering from the knock.
He had only played 35 minutes of Currie Cup rugby for the Sharks before being called back into Coetzee's Bok squad, and he started Saturday's 18-10 win against Australia at fullback.
It was a scrappy performance from South Africa, but they did just enough to pull off the win.
Lambie was solid for the most part - the Boks struggled to get anything going on attack - and Coetzee was pleased with what he saw.
"I was never going to put pressure on Patrick to have an outstanding game," Coetzee said from Durban on Monday.
"Even seasoned players and experienced players will take a bit of time out there for their confidence to come back.
"He brought that stability and calmness and leadership, without a doubt. He’s obviously still a bit rusty on a few things but hopefully it will be better this weekend."
With Morne Steyn having performed well at flyhalf on Saturday, a move back into the No 10 jersey seems unlikely for Lambie against the All Blacks in Durban this weekend.
He is, however, expected to start at fullback once more.
