Australian coach Robbie Deans paid the Springboks - and their style of rugby - the ultimate compliment after his side was well beaten 32-25 in South Africa's first overseas Tri-Nations game of the year, which saw the visitors becoming the first side to bank five points, for scoring four tries, in this year's competition.
Much maligned Springbok coach Peter de Villiers also defended the style of rugby he had introduced to the world champions, saying he wanted the team to play "total rugby" and they had responded delivering a "brilliant" example of it in their demolition of the Wallabies.
South Africa need only one point to make sure of winning the Tri-Nations trophy for the third time, provided they can prevent New Zealand from banking ten points from their last two games and ending the series with a superior points for and against differential to South Africa.
But, besides the fact that South Africa still have two games to play, against Australia in Brisbane next week and New Zealand in Hamilton a week later, their performance was so convincing at the Subiaco Oval on Saturday, that Deans said they had won the trophy already.
"The Boks scored four tries and have always been a side capable of playing any which way they choose. Their first priority was to win the Tri-Nations and they have done that easily and, to be fair, convincingly. They have played the way they had to do to achieve that," said the Wallaby coach.
When it was pointed out that South Africa had 17 points, nine more than New Zealand, but had still not clinched the Tri-Nations trophy, Deans said: "I don't know the maths exactly. But they have got a great opportunity."
De Villiers, nevertheless, as well as Springbok captain John Smit, refused to take anything for granted in spite of a victory that was only South Africa's third Tri-Nations win in Australia, all three coming in Perth, and the first time the Springboks had scored four tries.
Up until the 75th minute, with the Springboks leading 32-13 with less than ten minutes to play, South Africa were heading for a record win in Australia before the Wallabies rallied with two late tries.
"Brilliant," said De Villiers of his team's performance. "We never had the platform to play off (the penalty count was 15-4 against South Africa, mainly at scrum-time), but still managed to play with the kind of ball we had. Our defence was good, our kicking was outstanding, as it always is, and we passed the ball and scored four tries.
"I said we could play total rugby and we did as the guys made brilliant decisions, when the space was there to run it we did," added the Springbok mentor.
Smit, after a "good week" where the team arrived late, but went to bed after midnight and woke up at noon to combat the effects of jet-lag, said he thought in general it was a commanding performance.
"We scored tries, collectively the defensive effort was good and in general it was a commanding performance. (Man of the match) Fourie (du Preez) was again a little general and all the guys put their hands up."
Nevertheless, Smit said the team would not depart from the recipe they had written to win the Tri-Nations for the first time since 2004.
"We said from the first game we played against the (British) Lions that we would play it every single week, one game at a time, and then at the end of the year have a look and see what we managed to collect. That will remain the policy going forward.
"We have got a poor record away from home and now we have an opportunity to make sure we rectify that. Every game we will play on our merits and our next most important game is in Brisbane in a week's time."
In reaction to media criticism that had labelled the Boks boring, one dimensional and unable to score four tries, Smit said: "Scoring tries and record scores are one thing and it was a satisfying performance. We were tempted to listen to everything that was being written about how we played. But we were adamant we are a team that can adapt to what's necessary. With the ball we can take it wide and attack spaces and we showed that we can do that.
"Whatever it takes to win, this team will find it," said the Bok skipper.
Sapa
