Former Springbok Bob Skinstad says this past weekend’s local Vodacom United Rugby Championship matches were much needed by the four South African franchises.
The two URC matches involving the Lions against the Sharks at Ellis Park and then the Vodacom Bulls against the Stormers at Loftus yielded 19 tries between them and, according to Skinstad, that suggests the local teams are on the right track.
“It was a celebration of rugby,” Skinstad said on Monday as he reflected on the weekend’s action.
“Both matches were exciting, high-paced games where we saw some incredible offloads, one-handed passes, passes through the legs, and attacks. It was great to see the Springbok players performing so well.
“I think this weekend showed that the South African teams will be able to score tries against any side from the northern hemisphere, which is what they’re going to need to do to be successful in this competition. I think the teams will all be happy that they’re on the right track on attack.
“They can maybe shore up a bit on defence, but if they score enough tries they’re going to be right in it. I’d give both matches an 8 out of 10 for attack and a 7 out of 10 for defence. I really enjoyed every minute of watching it. It was just fantastic to sit back and watch a true spectacle of South African derbies.
“All of those matches were on TV here in the United Kingdom. The URC is a wonderful international showcase of our South African talent. It was just such a feel-good rugby weekend for me.”
Commenting specifically on the Sharks’ 47-37 victory over the Lions, Skinstad said he was once again in awe of Springbok Lukhanyo Am’s ability to control a match.
“Am was the best on field by a long way, but he was well supported by his front rankers and some lovely offloads. Am’s ability to put a chip over the top at the right time, or a long pass to Aphelele Fassi and a long kick for Makazole Mapimpi really kept control of the game for the Sharks.
“The Lions came back into it at one stage, but Am just kept enough control of that contest and it was wonderful to watch him. The outside backs in general really impressed me. It was enough to show that our players have the skills, speed and pace but also the ability to make those quality decisions at the right time.”
Despite being a devoted Stormers man, Skinstad said even he was surprised by their 30-26 victory over the Bulls.
“The Bulls have just been better for longer, but I think the Stormers will be absolutely delighted with that win. They really showed the wherewithal to handle the Bulls comeback when they scored those 19 unanswered points. I thought Manie Libbok was good, and Steven Kitshoff and his charges worked really hard up front.
“I want the young players to come through and do well, but it’s also amazing to see the experienced players and how their rugby smarts makes a difference. The evergreen Morne Steyn comes on and immediately makes a difference for the Bulls with a kick across field.”
