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Mon 28 Sep 2015 | 03:07
South Africa bounce back with convincing victory over Samoa in Birmingham

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South Africa bounced back from their shocking defeat to Japan a week earlier to put in a much improved performance and beat Samoa by forty points. Winger JP Pietersen scored a hat-trick of tries as the Springboks lifted in all facets of the game, to win 46-6. 

The Springboks fielded are far stronger outfit with the likes of Duan Vermeulen, Willie le Roux and Fourie du Preez all starting and making valuable contributions, particularly the latter.

Damian De Allende, who missed out in the Japan game, was excellent in the midfield while up front Adriaan Strauss, and later Schalk Brits, brought a new level of energy in the tight loose.

The sad news for the Springboks however is that skipper Jean de Villiers was injured in the match and has since announced his retirement. He took a knock on the jaw, damaging the right side just weeks after damaging the left.

"Injuries are part of rugby and I’ve had my fair share, so by now I know how to cope with them. It’s very sad, but life goes on – I need to take it all in and move forward," said De Villiers.

"The last time I got injured in a World Cup match and had to go home, was in 2007, also against Samoa, and that finished well for the Boks, so hopefully it will happen again."

The Springboks have called up Jan Serfontein ahead of their next match against Scotland.

Hear from De Villiers, speaking with a fractured jaw, in his post match interview on page two

Posted By: Grant Constable

10 Comments

  • colombes
    11:40 PM 28/09/2015

    Gutted for jdv, not the best way to quit the scene.

    To have the last laugh, should he be inspired by Ali Williams and play in ads for a soup or any boks stew speciality?

  • 10stonenumber10
    11:03 PM 28/09/2015

    If only Union had a Man of Steel award...

  • drg
    10:26 PM 28/09/2015

    Very sad for international rugby to lose JDV. I really feel for the guy as he's had rotten luck on the rwc scene. I wish him a speedy recovery!

  • eddie-g
    10:20 PM 28/09/2015

    He is a genuinely good bloke, you see that with how all his fellow pros talk about him, and the bad luck he has endured in World Cups has been unbelievable.

    But to be fair to my brethren, I think the anger was more directed at the coaches who kept selecting him. He apparently lost 6 kgs when recovering from the first jaw-break, and his lack of match-fitness was glaringly obvious. But he left on a winning note, contributing to the end while playing through astonishing pain.

    I'll remember him for that.

  • guy
    9:35 PM 28/09/2015

    It's never nice to see someone having to bow out of the cup because of injury, But this is just gutwrenching. I know he got a lot of flack from a lot of Springbok 'supporters' (on other websites) over the last few months. He might have been past his best. But to me Jean de Villiers embodies everything I love about rugby. True grit, sheer determination to overcome everything life throws at you, a humble and gentle human being, both in succes and in defeat.

    I actually feel genuinly sad for him and I think rugby in general will be just a little poorer without him.

  • katman
    9:17 PM 28/09/2015

    Jaco Kriel's omission is the biggest stuff-up in our WC squad. He should be starting at 6. In fact, he could captain this side. On performance alone, he would walk into any other team in the world.

  • eddie-g
    8:26 PM 28/09/2015

    Josh Strauss will always be a Lion to me!

    It's an unkind thing to say, but I think with Jean's injury, they solved the key selection problem. There's a question at 7 - to continue your theme, if they give up on Alberts, Marcel Coetzee is getting called up, not Jaco Kriel - and a question at hooker, but the best XV is not much in doubt any longer.

  • katman
    7:56 PM 28/09/2015

    Really sucks for Jean de Villiers. He's had the worst possible luck in three World Cups. And I really think Jan Serfontein is a great player, but I would have gone for Lionel Mapoe as a replacement for de Villiers. He's been in such good form the past year. Rock solid on defence, and covers 11, 12, 13, 14. I suspect Heyneke Meyer forgot that the Golden Lions Rugby Union exists. I mean, even Scotland came closer to selecting a Lions player for the World Cup than Heyneke Meyer did.

  • dancarter
    6:37 PM 28/09/2015

    It's a shame he's had to bow out mid-tournament and due to injury. I think de Villiers' response to Tuilagi's tackle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ss29vABFGM) says a lot about the kind of player + man that de Villiers is. It could have ended someone's career on another day. If JDV was furious and went for Tuilagi it might not have been the right thing to do but I wouldn't have blamed him for it either. Instead JDV just gets up, gives a wry shake of his head + they shake hands.

  • eddie-g
    4:34 PM 28/09/2015

    A lot of positives to come out of that game - Duane Vermeulen coming through was the big one for me. His presence just seems to improve everything the team does. I doubt it will happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing him named captain for the remainder of the tournament.

    As for Jean de Villiers - he shouldn't have made the squad, but he didn't deserve to go out this way.

    But this is a pretty decent epitaph. He leaves the game with a broken jaw, but returns as a blood replacement. Against Samoa. Toughness, and dedication to the team, doesn't come more complete than that.

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