SA ‘A’ Standouts v Bristol Bears: Nortje Makes Emphatic Statement

Ruan Nortje did himself proud and sent a clear message to the Springbok coaches on an embarrassing evening for South Africa ‘A’ on Thursday that ended in a 26-18 loss to the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

Mzwandile Stick’s team went nowhere slowly in an abysmal display in which they failed to execute yet persisted with a structured game plan they were shackled with to crash to a second defeat following their 28-14 loss to Munster in Cork last week.

On a humiliating night for the touring dirt trackers and a historic one for the Gallagher Premiership club, our top three South Africa ‘A’ performers were:

Ruan Nortje

The two-match tour aimed to give rising and resurgent stars an opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the Springbok squad.

Nortje was one of just two players who did this in both games, which is not surprising as he’s been consistently excellent for the Bulls for the past two seasons, and emerged as the clear standout of the tour.

The second-rower was the best player by a country mile against Bristol, the 24-year-old masterminding and marshalling the lineout like a seasoned veteran whilst disrupting the hosts in the set piece.

A proven poacher who produced the second-most steals in the inaugural season of the United Rugby Championship, his code-cracking prowess saw him pile on the pressure and nick off two of Bristol’s throws.

The URC’s first ironman was ever-industrious, putting in a big defensive shift that extended to competing for the ball at the breakdown and charging down a kick to create a half chance, and mixed forceful carries with deft touches.

The failed tour achieved very little. The silver lining is it showed Nortje – who for whatever reason dropped out of the Springbok squad after making his debut against Wales in Bloemfontein in July – is ready for Test rugby.

Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Often described as a forgotten Springbok, the 29-year-old reminded of his class as the only other player who impressed in both outings.

A great example for junior players when it comes to maximising your minutes, the back-rower produced a second sublime super-sub showing in which he packed 80 minutes of work into 28 and made crucial plays on both sides of the ball.

The first was snatching a turnover near his try line and the second was his well-taken try, a result of his hunger, awareness and athleticism as he pounced on a loose ball and stretched over to set himself apart as the only player to dot down in both games.

Bursting with energy and explosiveness, he also made two clean breaks and a half break at pace.

Ntuthuko Mchunu

Mchunu’s a freak athlete and he showed it here. Men his side shouldn’t be as fast and agile as he is and the front-row anomaly made sure he left his mark.

His beautiful try highlighted those special abilities, as well as his rugby IQ, as he ran a good line and used his fancy footwork to score. He wasn’t just flash either, standing strong in the scrums where he won a penalty just before halftime, and using his size and power to break tackles in the trenches.

It’s evident the 24-year-old is hungry for more Test rugby after getting a taste in the same game as Nortje and this all-around performance will please the national coaches.