Combrinck stars in Bok comeback

South African fans endured a whirlwind of emotion as the Springboks took their time to find their gear in Johannesburg. The first half did little to inspire any confidence and it looked as if the Boks were heading for a series defeat as they went into the shed at half time trailing Ireland 19-3.

Allister Coetzee’s charges were guilty of not looking after possession in the first stanza and slipped tackles saw Ireland open up a healthy lead.

But the Irish were denied their celebratory Guinness, as the Springbok bench came to the rescue and delivered what is sure to be one of the Springbok’s most memorable comebacks in recent history.

Enter Combrinck, who replaced right wing Lwazi Mvovo after half time. The Cell C Sharks veteran had struggled under the aerial bombardment from Ireland’s half backs in the first 40  minutes and Coetzee banked on Combrinck’s ability to handle the high ball.

Determined not to be overcome by the occasion, Combrinck produced a magical, hard-running 40 minutes of rugby that saw him crash over for his first try in a Springbok jersey. The cream on top of the cake was being named man-of-the-match – a rare occasion for any player making their international debut.

The 26-year-old Michaelhouse old boy was over the moon after the match.

“On the field when we were down after a try, I stood there and I thought to myself, ‘this is awesome being here’ but the you realise when you look at the crowd for just a second, how much bigger this game is compared to your own ambitions,” the Lions star said.

“I would rather play a very crap game and win than score a hat-trick and lose because this is for your country, you actually realise that when you are on the field.”

Combrinck was faced with a massive task when he took to the field with the Boks so far behind but he says the excitement of the occasion helped calm the nerves.

“It wasn’t a good first half, the vibe I got out of the whole half-time chat was that we had to pick it up and stick to our processes. But once the coach tells you that you’re going on, you don’t even remember what he said, you just want to get out there and jol,” Combrinck joked. 

Meanwhile Coetzee was openly disappointed by his team’s first half performance. However the Bok coach took more out of the way his team managed to claw back into the game to level the series.

“We were open, frank and honest with each other in the change room when I spoke about work ethic – I mentioned players by name and we needed to get that right. The players responded to that, that’s all I’m looking for. It’s not about what I say, it’s about how they respond to the message,” the coach said.

“From Adriaan’s side, it was clear, concise and to the point and they responded. That’s why I’m happy with this group of players, they’re coachable and they respond to adversity.”

“Not many teams can work themselves out of that hole if there isn’t something special in the team. I’ve seen brilliant teams that couldn’t make a comeback but this team showed the whole of South Africa that backs to the wall they can fight and come away with the win.”

The Sprinboks face Ireland in the series decider next weekend in Port Elizabeth.

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