South Africa Rugby

Argentina will go looking for their first points in the 2017 Rugby Championship on Saturday, as they host South Africa in Salta.

The Pumas lost their opening match in Port Elizabeth 37-15 after a meltdown in the second half, but their first-half showing was cause for optimism. The Springboks are good, but not invincible, especially if the hosts can limit errors.

           

Date: Saturday, August 26

Time: 8:40 p.m. BST

TV Info: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

          

Preview

While South African fans should feel confident about their team after the win in Port Elizabeth, the Springboks took advantage of some sloppy play from the Pumas. As shared by rugby writer Hendrik Cronje, some statistics suggested there won't be a repeat in Match 2:

South Africa missed just 20 tackles in their Round 1 win against Argentina,
fewer than any of the other three teams across the weekend.

— Hendrik Cronjé (@hendrikcronje71) August 23, 2017

South Africa have won four matches in a row but haven't won an away match in the Rugby Championship in their last six tries. Their last victory came in Argentina, and the team will be eager to see that streak come to an end.

The Springboks largely won their first match thanks to the performance of their pack, which dominated the Argentinians throughout the contest. Per ESPN Rugby's John Goliath, tighthead Coenie Oosthuizen gave full marks to the group:

“It was a team effort, I think the whole pack of forwards were quite happy about the work we put into scrumming.

“Two weeks' prep is difficult for the tight unit to evolve quickly. But from a scrumming perspective, we achieved what we wanted, but there is so much more we can actually do right to improve our scrumming.

“But, for the first Test for the Rugby Championship, I think we can be happy about that."

The fine form of their pack should serve them well in Salta, where the narrow pitch favours physical teams, rather than those built around pure athleticism.

Patience will be key in Argentina, where the hosts can get swept up by the vocal crowd and their physicality comes into play even more. Good work with the boot will also be needed, and that has been an area of concern for the hosts at times.

France slipped to a series whitewash in their summer internationals against South Africa, after losing the third and final Test 35-12 at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Tries from Jesse Kriel, Eben Etzebeth and Malcolm Marx, as well as a debut score from Rudy Paige, along with a hat-trick of penalties from Elton Jantjies, condemned Les Bleus to a third defeat in a row in this series.

France could only manage four Jules Plisson penalties in response.

Paul Williams of Rugby World noted how the pressure was on Les Bleus after losing the first two Tests:

France have got a lot to prove against the Boks

— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) June 24, 2017

Even so, Jantjies converted a penalty to open the scoring in just six minutes. A minute later South Africa had a try on the board, after Kriel went over.

An early 10-point lead left France shocked, but Plisson got them on the board with a penalty. Jantjies then missed one of his own to leave the score at 10-3 after 13 minutes.

France cut the gap to four when Plisson sent another penalty through. The French had worked well to win the second-phase ball before Jefferson Poirot was felled on the breakaway.

Jantjies made amends for his earlier miss by hooking in a second penalty to stretch the Springboks' advantage to seven points. Debutant Ruben Dreyer and 29-year-old scrum-half Francois Hougaard were letting South Africa dominate in the scrum and breakdowns, with South African Rugby showing a snap of one breakdown:

Always wanting to be a conductor, @Francoishougi tunes the French on some rules at the breakdown. #LoveRugby pic.twitter.com/oufbhk7pmo

— Springboks (@Springboks) June 24, 2017

Another exchange of penalties meant the Springboks stayed seven points in front at the break.

Etzebeth scored from a lineout move early in the second half to make it 21-9.

Les Bleus were struggling because of some dubious tactics, as they used a beefy pack to try to dominate the Springboks physically. However, it simply wasn't working, and coach Guy Noves' men needed to focus more on creating and exploiting some natural width.

With a healthy lead, Springboks coach Allister Coetzee decided to freshen things up:

Steven Kitshoff, Coenie Oosthuizen and PS du Toit on the field as replacements. 21-9, 25 mins left

— Springboks (@Springboks) June 24, 2017

The changes from the bench paid dividends when Marx scored a try after some fine work from Steven Kitshoff in the buildup. Marx's try rendered Plisson's fourth penalty moot.

South Africa padded their score when Paige went over late on after a clever offload from substitute Bongi Mbonambi sent him clear.

The whitewash loss sums up how much France struggled with this summer international tour after a long and gruelling domestic season. Meanwhile, the Springboks have shown signs of a revival after three comprehensive displays.

South Africa got their three-match home series with France off to an excellent start in Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, on Saturday, as they comfortably beat the visitors 37-14.

Jesse Kriel and Henry Chavancy went over for each side in the first half before France substitute Baptiste Serin picked up a second try for France in the second.

The hosts finished strongly, though, as Courtnall Skosan and Ross Cronje went over in the space of a minute before Jan Serfontein added a fourth try.

The Springboks started brightly on home soil and were soon 6-0 up thanks to two penalties from Elton Jantjies after Djibril Camara was caught offside and Clement Maynadier collapsed a maul.

Sports journalist Neil Collins remarked on their early dominance as they put France under pressure:

IT'S ALL SOUTH AFRICA AT LOFTUS: @springboks 6-0 France 18mins

— Neal Collins (@nealcol) June 10, 2017

France were eventually able to settle into the contest and responded with an attack of their own, but after surviving a brief onslaught, South Africa grabbed the first try of the game through Kriel.

The 23-year-old was picked out by Malcolm Marx, before charging over with a burst of pace to escape the French defence.

Gerald Imray of the Associated Press hailed Marx's performance:

Malcolm Marx having storming game in first start. Sets up Jesse Kriel's try. @Springboks lead France 13-0, 33 mins gone #SAvFRA

— Gerald Imray (@GeraldImrayAP) June 10, 2017

France hit back almost immediately, though, when they worked the ball out to Yoann Huget on the left, and the winger chipped it over South Africa's line before racing on to it. Despite an unfortunate bounce, he was able to offload it to Chavancy to touch down.

A late penalty for the hosts handed them a 16-7 lead at the break, but France reduced that gap to just two points within quarter of an hour of the restart when Serin powered over, with Jules Plisson adding the extras, as he had before.

The hosts responded magnificently, though, hitting back with two quick-fire tries.

As noted by South African Rugby, the first was a penalty try for Skosan:

Penalty try to #Springboks as @Skosan14 is impeded on way to scoring his first test try Yellow card to @FFRugby as well. 23-14 after 60 mins pic.twitter.com/NSK1bJt0MP

— Springboks (@Springboks) June 10, 2017

Just one minute later, Cronje gave the Springboks even more breathing room when Warren Whiteley won a lineout and picked him out in space with a clever pass, allowing him an easy run over the line.

South Africa rounded out the match with a final try on the counter-attack, breaking through Francois Hougaard and Andries Coetzee before Serfontein wriggled through

Former South Africa rugby union captain Joost van der Westhuizen has died aged 45.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup winner's J9 Foundation announced the news on Monday after he had been in a critical condition over the weekend:

Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011.

Reaction poured in on social media following the announcement:

RIP Joost van der Westhuizen, 1971-2017. Condolences to the family and friends of a true Springbok hero. pic.twitter.com/ZZ7IBEBcyE

— Springboks (@Springboks) February 6, 2017

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Joost van der Westhuizen, who has sadly passed away at the age of 45...#RugbyFamily pic.twitter.com/WGWhtYZ0xz

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 6, 2017

The world of #rugby mourns the passing of @Springboks great and #RugbyHoF inductee no. 119 Joost van der Westhuizen. https://t.co/LbjHLYBRSK pic.twitter.com/mOgqcGayHx

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) February 6, 2017

South Africa is poorer without Joost van der Westhiuzen, a giant & warrior of SA rugby. I send my sincere condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/f8ko2SPWpI

— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) February 6, 2017

@9Joost one of the best players in the world! It was a privilege to see him in action! Sterkte aan familie in die moeilike tyd! RIP #Legend

— Naas Botha (@NaasBotha10) February 6, 2017

RIP @9Joost 🏉😥 #truelegend

— Jesse Kriel (@JesseKriel15) February 6, 2017

Was a pleasure sharing a dressing room with you,A warrior in every sense of the word,legend of the game,God Bless your fam,rus sag ou grote🙏 pic.twitter.com/ajM4MrVAf5

— Breyton Paulse (@BreytonPaulse) February 6, 2017

RIP Joost van der Westhuizen. One of the true greats of the game finally has peace after a battle with motor neurone disease pic.twitter.com/6HyQuf5bGo

— Benjamin Smith (@BSmith) February 6, 2017

RIP Joost van der Westhuizen. An incredible player and fighter to the end. The first of the new age 9's.

— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) February 6, 2017

Sad to hear the news that joost van der westhuizen has passed away. An unbelievable player that I always watch growing up. #rip @9Joost

— Lee Dickson (@Dicko9) February 6, 2017

According to Jack de Menezes of the Independent, Van der Westhuizen was given just two-and-a-half years to live upon his diagnosis.

Per BBC Sport, South Africa rugby president Mark Alexander said: "Joost will be remembered as one of the greatest Springboks—not only of his generation, but of all time. He also became an inspiration and hero to many fellow sufferers of this terrible disease as well as to those unaffected. We all marvelled at his bravery, his fortitude and his uncomplaining acceptance of this terrible burden."

The scrum-half made 89 caps for the Springboks over the course of a successful 10-year international career between 1993 and 2003—serving four years as captain—the pinnacle of which was winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Van der Westhuizen also scored 38 tries in that time for South Africa and was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame in 2007.

Domestically, he played for the Blue Bulls for his entire career, where he won the Currie Cup on two occasions, as well as the Bankfin and Vodacom Cups once apiece.

 

Rugby World Cup 2015's Pool B will virtually be decided on Saturday as South Africa take on Scotland at St James’ Park, England.

The Springboks once again come into a match on uncertain terms as the convincing 46-6 win last weekend against Samoa came at a heavy price. Captain Jean de Villiers fractured his jaw in the match against the physical opponents, and after being ruled out of the rest of the tournament, he decided to retire from international rugby.

De Villiers’ tally of 37 matches as captain of South Africa is only bettered by John Smit’s mammoth 83.

Luckily, South Africa have enormous experience to call upon: Although he is injured for this match, Victor Matfield has 125 caps and Bryan Habana 112, but the Springboks now have a serious lack of experience in midfield. Handre Pollard leads the way with 15 appearances, while neither Damian de Allende nor Jesse Kriel have double figures.

Scotland, meanwhile, rested nine players against the USA on Sunday from their first-round match against Japan, but they lost lock Grant Gilchrist for the tournament. Despite trailing by seven points at the break, they ran out comfortable 39-16 winners.

Tom English of the BBC had this assessment of the Scots: "As a team they are in a tantalising place; possibly good enough to take South Africa to the wire if they produce their very best stuff but vulnerable enough to get stuffed down a hole that they won't crawl out of should they reproduce the weaknesses of the first half at Elland Road."

Meanwhile, Jeremy Guscott wrote for the BBC that he fancied the Scots to cause an upset against South Africa: "Japan's fitness was better than the Boks' and Scotland's fitness looks very good. If Scotland limit their unforced errors and keep the game high tempo I don't believe the Boks can live with their pace at the moment."

Per the Independent, Duncan Weir replaces the injured Finn Russell at fly-half and prop Willem Nel will face the land of his birth after recently qualifying for Scotland.

An interesting side story is that the inclusion of Nel and Josh Strauss has implications for the Springbok lineout and their ability to call in Afrikaans.

Match Details

Date: Saturday, October 3

Time: 4:45 p.m. BST/11:45 a.m. ET

Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle, England

TV Info: UK, ITV1; Australia, Fox Sports; NZ, SkySport; South Africa, SuperSports

Live Stream: ITV Player (UK only)

Last five games

On the basis of their last five games, South Africa remain very unpredictable. However, they may have turned the corner in the last match against Samoa. They have not struggled for scoring points, but their defence and discipline have been Achilles' heels. 

September 26	Samoa 6-46 South Africa
September 19	Japan 34-32 South Africa
August 16	Argentina 12-26 South Africa
August 8	South Africa 25-37 Argentina
July 25	South Africa 20-27 New Zealand

Scotland’s recent form is very good, with four wins from five. The only defeat was a narrow one in the Stade de France, not a happy hunting ground for many Scottish teams. Coach Vern Cotter has made Scotland organised and defensively sound.

September 27	Scotland 39-16 USA
September 23	Japan 10-45 Scotland
September 5	France 19-16 Scotland
August 29	Scotland 58-7 Italy
August 22	Italy 12-16 Scotland

Team Lineups

South Africa: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen

Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Richie Vernon, Matt Scott, Tim Visser, Duncan Weir, Greig Laidlaw; Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Willem Nel, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Josh Strauss, Blair Cowan, David Denton.

Players to watch

South Africa: Jesse Kriel

In for Jean de Villiers in the Springbok midfield is the versatile and exciting Jesse Kriel.

Reuters’ Nick Said had this assessment of the 21-year-old: "Kriel's counter-attacking style, combining electric pace with slick, innovative handling, create danger for opponents from the most innocuous situations, adding much-needed unpredictability to the Boks' attack."

Despite Kriel operating mostly as a full-back with the Bulls in Super Rugby, South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer has high hopes for him as a 13, as Said also reported: "He has speed and his acceleration off the mark can be a big threat in attack. He has the potential to be the best outside centre South Africa has ever produced."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKCseJwe8C0

Kriel has big boots to fill and will now try to match his hype.

Scotland: Willem Nel

The dark blues will rely on South African-born Nel to grant them at least parity with the Springbok scrum and to show his dynamic side in the loose. A try against the USA capped a determined showing off the bench for Nel, who was crucial in helping his side overturn a 13-6 half-time deficit.

Nel is sure to be fired up for this one, and despite only having five caps for his adopted nation, he is already their key player.

Prediction

In a physical match, South Africa’s experience and pacy back three will see them overcome Scotland by about 10 points.

Odds

South Africa: 2-11

Scotland: 6-1

Draw: 40-1

Via oddschecker.com

Spare a thought for South Africa fan Ron Rutland following his side's defeat to Japan in the epic Rugby World Cup encounter over the weekend.

The former trader cycled through Africa and Europe to make it from Cape Town to Brighton, only to see the Springboks lose 34-32 in one of the game's greatest ever upsets.

Rutland's journey of more than 26,000 miles, which began in April 2013, was in honour of friend Nix “Lettie” Haynes, who was diagnosed with cancer before the trip and has since passed away. He's raising money for the Laureus Foundation via the website fatkidonabike.com.

Whilst the defeat wasn't the result Rutland would have been looking for, he remained in good spirits after witnessing the action at the Amex Stadium.

Boom! pic.twitter.com/FWqFFnMiEk

— Ron Rutland 🇿🇦 (@RonRutland) September 19, 2015

I'm looking forward to waking up on the 1st Nov with a massive hangover after @Springboks win RWC and looking back at today with a wry grin.

— Ron Rutland 🇿🇦 (@RonRutland) September 19, 2015

Japan's fans have certainly gotten behind their nation following the win, with World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper revealing that the official Rugby World Cup merchandise store on Oxford Street had to be closed on Sunday due to "overwhelming demand."

A privilege to have witnessed such history on the pitch, and such amazing scenes between Bok and Japanese fans off it; rugby at its finest.

— Ron Rutland 🇿🇦 (@RonRutland) September 20, 2015

Demand might well go into overdrive if the Cherry Blossoms produce another memorable upset against Scotland at Kingsholm on Wednesday.

[Twitter: @RonRutland, @brettgosper; h/t Daily Telegraph]

The role of the hooker has been under the spotlight in the northern hemisphere during the Rugby World Cup warm-up phase before the tournament starts 18 September.

Both England and Scotland have a first-choice man in the role whose work around the field is outstanding, but Tom Youngs and Ross Ford have major issues with their throwing into the lineout for their respective teams.

With Dylan Hartley absent for England and no real contender to Ford’s spot as Scotland’s first choice, both sides seem rather stuck with the men in possession of the shirts, regardless of how many throws go astray at the set piece.

Wales, meanwhile, have seen fit to do without the vastly experienced British and Irish Lions incumbent Richard Hibbard, hoping their less-tested options have what it takes.

There are no such conundrums for any of the major sides from south of the equator. Australia stalwart Stephen Moore is as reliable as ever and tireless around the field.

Dane Coles has assumed Keven Mealamu’s New Zealand jersey and gets better each time he plays, while Argentina skipper Agustin Creevy is a dynamic and inspirational figure in the No. 2 jersey.

As for South Africa? They have the world’s best hooker in the shape of Bismarck du Plessis.

The Sharks man—bound for Montpellier after the World Cup—can do it all. Solid in the scrum, accurate in the lineout and, most significantly, a phenom at the breakdown.

Du Plessis earns the title of South Africa’s X-factor because he has combined world-class set-piece play with the ability to perform as a fourth back-row player when it comes to the tackle area.

Bossing the breakdown

The most striking recent evidence of each of these attributes came in South Africa’s away defeat to Australia in Brisbane.

The Springboks bossed the first hour of the game, and several times in the first half, it was Du Plessis who found himself clamped over the ball, ripping it off the tackled Wallaby player and turning possession over. Richie McCaw would have been proud of that body of work.

Furthermore, the South African scrum was battering its gold-shirted opponents until head coach Heyneke Meyer yanked off his first-choice front row.

The removal of Du Plessis and his propping colleagues signalled a turning of the tide in the scrum—and, indeed, the game itself.

From a solid winning position, South Africa lost their momentum, lost their grip on the tight exchanges and, ultimately, lost the game.

Mark Keohane wrote in Business Day (h/t SA Rugby):

Bismarck du Plessis should never have been substituted on 49 minutes. He was colossal in everything, especially his ability to turn over ball, and he gave the Boks an additional fetcher option. He also did the basics so well. He had presence; mongrel and mostly he had discipline.

Australia could not cope with Du Plessis, and in the 49 minutes he was leading the Bok charge, the Aussies could not cope with the Bok forwards, be it at set piece or at the breakdown.

Battering the All Blacks

A week later, New Zealand travelled to Johannesburg. The Boks almost beat them there for the second year running until McCaw’s late sting in the tail.

Prior to that, South Africa were the better side, and one moment summed up Du Plessis' incredible work rate around the park. He had, as usual, done all the hard-yards stuff well, but all of a sudden, there he was chasing down a kick upfield that was fielded and handed on to All Blacks No. 8 Kieran Read.

Read couldn’t gather the suspect pass from his team-mate quickly enough, and the South African hooker smashed into the 2014 World Player of the Year, regained possession and sparked a move that ended two phases later in a try for his team.

The value of this defensive work from a hooker is akin to football pundits rating a world-class goalkeeper as worth 12 points a season.

Having Du Plessis in the side adds so much more than just a solid set-piece merchant to South Africa’s arsenal, as Rob Houwing of Sport24 writes: "A troubled tenure as Sharks captain is now well out of the way, and he is back producing the kind of super-robust, dynamic rugby for which he was acclaimed before the flirtation with leadership—the hooker will also be a strong factor in Bok turnover plans at the breakdown."

Smit says…

The last word goes to the man who fought tooth and nail to keep the No. 2 jersey from Du Plessis towards the end of his own career.

World Cup-winning Bok skipper John Smit told Business Day: "All Bismarck has to do is what comes naturally to him: play hard, get into the face of the opponents and be a brutal physical force for SA. When he is on song, as we’ve seen, he is a guy that can shape the nature of a game and it’s wonderful to see him playing well again."

A hugely productive 2015 Super Rugby season has seen Damian de Allende rise into pole position to star as part of Heyneke Meyer's midfield at the Rugby Championship, where he can emerge as a Springboks sensation.

De Allende has earned just three caps so far in his career, but a swift period of vast growth and several other variables mean the Stormers star can take the team onto new heights this summer.

The 23-year-old has been simmering for some time as a potential mainstay for the Springboks, and now is the time for De Allende to lead his nation in the buildup to this year's Rugby World Cup.

Read on as we discuss why the centre marvel will be South Africa's X-factor at the 2015 Rugby Championship.

A Step In the Right Direction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3G1cbb3hQk

Most prevalent of all De Allende's talents and the most obvious he offers Heyneke coming back into the Springboks lineup is stopping power, sitting as one of the best carriers in the world at present.

The 2015 Super Rugby campaign saw the Stormers' talismanic centre break down barriers like never before, and though their forward pack was the foundation of their playoff run, De Allende lit up their back line.

It was enough to earn him a place in Meyer's starting team for Saturday's 46-10 win over a star-studded World XV, where the midfielder bagged two tries to lead his nation to victory.

Just as he has done all year, De Allende put on a feast of line-breaking potential that proved crucial in both his scores, but Ultimate Rugby depicted the first as being a particularly impressive piece of penetration:

Damian de Allende scores the opening try vs the #WorldXV https://t.co/FTLy2LQaOx

— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) July 12, 2015

"No backward steps" must be a motto for the emerging South Africa staple, who suits Meyer's desire for an inside centre in that he's more than happy to hit crash ball after crash ball in the name of yardage.

However, De Allende is more than just a mere smuggler at close range, leaving both ESPN Scrum's Tom Hamilton and Brenden Nel of SuperSport in awe of his ability this past weekend:

Full-time in Cape Town. De Allende scores the last try - he was sensational. South Africa 46-10 World XV.

— Tom Hamilton (@tomhamiltonespn) July 11, 2015

Marcel Coetzee stand out today with an amazing game. Damian de Allende equally brilliant. Good cameos by Koch, Kriel, Matfield, Etzebeth

— Brenden Nel (@Brendennel) July 11, 2015

Meyer's midfield is an area that needs its stars, too, as Jean de Villiers continues his return to full fitness, while confidence in the likes of Jan Serfontein, Jaque Fourie, JP Pietersen and Jesse Kriel won't be as high.

De Allende showed this year what he's capable of doing among a back line of what are, in all honesty, quite average assets. Imagine what his forward-thinking approach could do in a team of like-minded stars.

A Timely Coming of Age

As aforementioned, De Allende's rise into the international hierarchy has been some time coming for some, but Super Rugby is a far different animal to Test rugby, an arena that's proven the downfall of many would-be headliners.

Having said that, not only have we seen how the player can stand out among the southern hemisphere's premier club competition, but we're now learning De Allende does have what it takes to be a Springboks leader.

After representing Western Province for the past three years and making 31 appearances for the Stormers in the past two seasons, scoring seven tries, the bruiser's pedigree is quickly escalating.

One of those left impressed by De Allende's two-try display against the World XV was opposition coach Robbie Deans, who told Netwerk24.com (via Sport24) he can bring something new to Meyer's setup:

Damian has been playing remarkable rugby the whole year and he keeps doing the right things. He can add a new dimension to the Boks. It was also nice to see Jean on the field again. From a leadership point of view, he’ll be an important player at the World Cup. He and Damian look very dangerous together.

And it's not just his victims De Allende is impressing, either, after team-mate Victor Matfield also picked the No. 12 out as a particular highlight, per Sport24: "I thought Damian de Allende also did very well."

At 6'2" and weighing just over 100 kilograms, it's fair to say the days are gone when De Allende's opposite numbers were assured of boasting a physical advantage over him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfadi77bzjA

Despite being capable of the smash-mouth style Meyer might seek in his inside centre, the young gun has proven to be a capable technician and not to mention being incredibly rounded in his skill set.

Strength is a given forte, but De Allende also brings superb acceleration, speed and a deft offloading ability that might draw comparison to a certain Waikato-based New Zealander. He's ready to duel against the big boys.

Youthful Exuberance

Lying at one end of the spectrum is De Villiers, who Meyer might hope will have some involvement in the Rugby Championship, although he's bound to be restricted as a pre-World Cup safety measure.

And at the other end of that spectrum comes a 23-year-old De Allende, who has his entire career in front of him and is preparing for what should be his first genuine piece of international prominence.

He managed to start two Rugby Championship games last year, but both of those came against Argentina before residing on the bench for the rest of the competition.

Since then, De Allende has come on leaps and bounds, but will be even more eager to prove his credentials to the international selectors, with ESPN Scrum's Brett McKay hailing his evolution earlier this year:

Cracking try to the Stormers. Damien de Allende such an improved player since I last watched him.. #STOvCHI

— Brett McKay (@BMcSport) March 14, 2015

Youth can be an enigmatic component for a player in major competitions, where some players embrace their responsibilities from a tender age, while other shirk those duties and find themselves out of their depth.

The Stormers may have lost their Super Rugby playoff qualifier to the Brumbies, but as Opta's Russ Petty illustrates, De Allende suffered no loss in reputation, effectively the story of his season:

de Allende - 17 runs for 118m, 12 defenders beaten

— Russ Petty (@rpetty80) June 21, 2015

That ability to hold one's head high and plough on—both figuratively and literally—would suggest that while he may be young, De Allende is capable of bearing South Africa's burden, thriving on the pressure.

The Cape Town prodigy has all the tools at his disposal to feature as a Springboks icon for years to come, and the 2015 Rugby Championship could mark the real beginning of his South Africa surge.

South Africa dismantled Wales in their first Test meeting. The Springbok were rampant from the start, eventually cruising to a 38-16 victory.

The win was a homage to the pace and power South Africa attacked with from the opening whistle. They simply fired into every scum, and once they found space, the South Africans bolted through gaps.

Wales simply couldn't cope with the speed of play. Their resistance was broken early by the coltish Bryan Habana.

His first try was captured brilliantly on the Sky Sports Rugby Twitter account:

Habana's run set the pattern for a first half demolition job. The Boks continued to manufacture space with quick distribution to powerful runners.

The only reply from the Welsh came courtesy off the boot of Dan Biggar:

But every time they needed to, South Africa simply stepped on the gas. They let their superior athletes such as Habana take over:

South Africa kept the pressure on before the interval. They played relentless, forward-thinking Rugby that denied the Welsh the chance to recover and adjust.

The Boks' quick-strike capability established a commanding advantage at half-time:

But there was little mercy after the break. That was despite efforts from Wales coach Warren Gatland to shake up his ranks:

However, those changes did little to alter the inevitable outcome. The Sringbok continued its dominance on home turf, with Willie Le Roux and Francois Louw particularly impressive.

Louw had been called out by Wales prop Paul James prior the the game, per Andrew Gwilym of The Daily Express:

Frans has not been in touch yet but I can tell you he is going to have a bit of Welsh banter off me soon. I'm sure the texts will be flying round so he might want to steer clear of his phone.

I've really enjoyed playing with him. He is world class and a real leader so he will be one for us to watch.

Keeping him quiet will be a big part of the series. We are missing guys in the back row, but the guys we have out here have been playing well all season and are relishing the opportunity.

But once the real action began, it was Louw whose actions spoke louder than any words. He drove South Africa forward, ensuring they stayed strong in the scrum.

Meanwhile Le Roux was always dangerous from the restart: 

Le Roux epitomised South Africa's lethal blend of strength and speed. His lightning pace provided the perfect complement to the raw power of a player like Cornal Hendricks.

It's a balance the Springbok has not always had. But the emergence of La Roux has added another dimension to coach Heyneke Meyer's team.

In fairness to the Welsh, their preparations for this game had been hampered by the absences of several key stars. Paul Rees of The Guardian revealed the extent of the Wales injury list:

Olivier was summoned after Juan de Jongh was ruled out for the rest of the month with pneumonia. The new pair joined up with the squad little more than 24 hours before the kick-off against a Wales side boosted by the recovery of wing George North from a virus. While the men in red are without four injured Lions – Sam Warburton, Leigh Halfpenny, Richard Hibbard and Justin Tipuric – Warren Gatland has his first-choice three-quarter line available and his team will have an advantage behind to exploit if they achieve parity at forward.

Those proved to be key losses that particularly restricted Wales' ability to pose South Africa problems in forward areas. It didn't help that South Africa were excellent at limiting space and pinning the Welsh deep.

Habana's brace established an impressive record:

Afterward, South Africa captain Victor Matfield lauded the range of talent, coming into the side. Matland reserved special praise for the impact made by the exciting youngsters on display:

Matfield has hit the right note. South African are perfectly balanced, in both the blend between experience and youth, as well as pace and power.

That's a combination sure to make them feared in future matches. As for Wales, Gatland faces a lengthy rebuilding job after this hammering in Durban.

Gatland had suggested his team was good enough to beat the Boks, per BBC Sport. But his eyes will have been opened wide by the ease with which his players were dominated physically.

Gatland noted in his post-match comments how his team failed to resist South Africa's physicality, per Walesonline.co.uk:

We were out muscled physically in the first half.

It was a lot better second half but we need to learn quickly for next week.

We can create opportunities next week. It's disappointing, like it was two years ago in Australia.

They won the collisions in the first half but the boys got to grips with the speed of the game in the second half.

Some of the guys who came off the bench did very well and Dan Biggar had a good game.

We have to work hard on the breakdown this week and we need to be more competitive in the collision area.

It's a big challenge to get the boys back up but if we can improve it will make things a lot easier for us.

There's no escaping the fact Gatland needs more energy in key areas. Without it, Wales will continue to be overwhelmed whenever they face elite opposition.