White delighted with Springbok defence

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa coach Jake White paid tribute to his new-look side's defensive strength after they beat Australia 33-20 to retain the Mandela Challenge Plate in the second leg test at Ellis Park today.

White, who made eight changes and one positional switch to the Springbok team that lost the opening leg 30-12 in Sydney, was also delighted with the pace and creativity produced by the revamped selection.

"A win like that lifts everyone's standards and ensures there's no complacency," White said.

"I've now got the nice sort of selection headache you want after showing confidence in the squad system," he added, referring to his options for the opening Tri-nations game against Australia in Pretoria next week goes.

"It's a wonderful situation to be in."

The coach singled out South Africa's defence against Australia.

"The one thing I was really chuffed about was the way we defended," he said.

"The Wallabies ran their best plays at us early on and we kept them out, and that leads to the players' confidence really increasing.

"We've now lifted the benchmark as to what standards we expect and I told the boys to enjoy these moments. We know how it felt after we lost in Sydney, so this win was something to cherish."

South Africa lead 23-8 at halftime but then had to defend a Wallaby lineout five metres from their goal-line with just 13 men on the field after winger Breyton Paulse and replacement flank Schalk Burger had both been yellow carded.

Lock Victor Matfield, however, stole possession of Australia's ball from the back of the lineout to provide the defining incident in the match for Springbok captain John Smit.

"Victor's steal was the most important moment of the game and was a piece of individual brilliance," Smit said. "It's very difficult to feel comfortable with a 23-8 lead but with two men down."

The Springbok captain also paid tribute to the influence of former South African president Nelson Mandela, whose 87th birthday was celebrated at Ellis Park on Saturday.

"After our warm-up, Mister Mandela spoke to the team in the tunnel and wished us good luck," he said. "Just then the Australians came walking past and it was amazing for them to see this great man taking time out to support us."

Australian coach Eddie Jones was at a loss to explain the poor start made by his team, who trailed 33-8 after 56 minutes.

"I just don't know how it happened but we missed a lot of tackles early on and were on the back foot early in the game," he said. "I thought we were well-prepared and the warm-up was sharp."

Jones praised the Springboks for "coming out at a very emotional level but playing with composure".

- REUTERS