CAPE TOWN - Springbok loose forward Jasper Wiese says his teammates gave him the confidence to settle into the team and produce a Man-of-the-Match performance in their 32-12 Rugby Championship win over Argentina on Saturday.
Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber made 12 changes to the matchday squad for their Rugby Championship-opener to the one that beat the British & Irish Lions 19-16 in the decisive Test in Cape Town a week ago.
Wiese, starting a No 8, produced his best outing at Test level as he carried strongly and brought proper impact in the physical exchanges.
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When asked about his productions against Los Pumas, he said: “I’m settling in, the players around me gave me confidence.
“Although I got the Man of the Match (award), it was a team performance and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the guys around me.
“The first thing is to put the team first, at the end of the day it’s just about doing everything you can for the team, it’s much bigger than just yourself. The guys are unbelievable – the guys that aren’t playing and the ones that do all help you get ready for a Test. You have to just give everything for them.”
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Following debutant Jaden Hendrikse’s try, the Boks’ third, replacement flyhalf Morne Steyn rushed his conversion as the hosts chased a fourth try as they were under the impression that four tries equalled a bonus point.
Bok skipper Siya Kolisi afterwards explained the situation, while he added that the understanding the guys have is what helps them stay calm during pressure situations.
Jasper Wiese vs Argentina
— Saffas Abroad Rugby 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🏉 (@SaffasRugby) August 14, 2021
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*tentative stats - as of 62’ minute. pic.twitter.com/q9CErUgGV2
“We wanted the bonus point and Jaden was fortunate enough to score that try. There was a bit of confusion, we thought we needed four tries to get the bonus point,” he said during the post-match press conference.
“One thing that I love about this team is that there are no senior players … everybody has their job and we don’t panic. Everybody has something to talk about and something to contribute, we don’t just rely on the captain. The rest of the team all work together."
@WynonaLouw