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Ross Cronje, in particular, was the one I doubted as a starting Springbok.
Now the Boks were impressive in sections and I thought they could have really killed off France earlier.
So while I’m not blowing their trumpet entirely, I will fall on my sword when it comes to Cronje.
In the build-up to the Test, I said his father probably never imagined that Ross would become an international player.
I certainly didn’t see it coming at the start of 2017.
But what we witnessed on Saturday was a superb performance by the Lions No.9. Yes, he scored that runaway try, but the thing that impressed me most was the pace at which he reached the breakdowns.
It helped the Springboks to up their intensity a lot.
It’s been a while since the national team has had that sort of scrumhalf wat vinning skoonmaak.
And in Cronje they might not have the most naturally gifted No.9 in the world, but he is genuinely one player that can be proud of his effort against France on the weekend.
There were four other debutants on the day – Andries Coetzee, Raymond Rhule, Courtnall Skosan and Dillyn Leyds.
Fullback Coetzee had me rooting for him when I saw the tears rolling down his face when they sang the national anthem.
Commitment is what the Boks needed and coach Allister Coetzee and his management staff surely got that out of their players.
The Lions man put in a workmanlike performance and looks to be much less of a risk than Willie le Roux on defence.
As for Rhule on the right wing, he didn’t get enough ball on attack to impress us.
But he looked for work on defence and won’t be disappointed with his first outing as a Springbok player.
On the other wing, Skosan will probably feel unlucky that he didn't get his first international try on his first outing on Saturday.
Chasing down a grubber kick in France’s red zone, Skosan was pulled back by the French fullback and South Africa were awarded a penalty try.
Leyds, meanwhile, would fancy his chances of starting somewhere in the Test series, and while he didn’t spend enough time on the park to justify a “rating”, kudos to him for earning his first Bok cap.
Debutants aside now.
I think the all-Bulls midfield combination of Jan Serfontein and Jesse Kriel didn’t disappoint in front of their home fans.
And while, as a pair, they might not be first-choice, they have shown that they can be more than a decent backup to have in the Boks’ arsenal.