Malcolm Marx was red-hot in a Springbok pack that demolished the All Blacks on Saturday, but it was the calm and composure from Lukhanyo Am that perfectly complemented the dominance into a big win.
“My player of the day was Springboks inside centre Lukhanyo Am,” Mark Keohane wrote in his Sunday Times column.
“However, the one converted try advantage at halftime was symptomatic of the Boks’ woes since crushing England 32-12 in the 2019 World Cup final in Japan. The Boks in the past two seasons have seldom converted early dominance into points.”
Smit: All Blacks heading for ‘hell on earth’
Through set-piece supremacy, accurate kicking and aggressive defence, the world champions controlled every facet of the first half, but it took a moment of magic from Am to convert that advantage into Kurt-Lee Arendse’s first Test try.
“Arendse, replacing the injured Cheslin Kolbe, got the try but the offload in contact from Am was an illustration of what makes him the best No 13 in South Africa and among the elite in his position in world rugby.
“Am’s calm in his decision-making is his strength. He plays as if he sees the play unfold in slow motion, which is the hallmark of every great player. He is clever with the ball and bloody tough over the ball.
“Am was the giant among the Bok backs … his gift is both as an individual and in how collectively he controls the South African rush defence.”
