iAfrica Photo Credit: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko 11 hours ago 2 min read
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South Africa took time to shrug off the rust as they returned after a 20-month absence to beat Georgia 40-9 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday in their first test since winning the 2019 World Cup.
The match was the first of two warm-up internationals against the Georgians in preparation for the three test series against the British & Irish Lions later this month.
The home side were 19-9 ahead at halftime and outscored their visitors six tries to nil but showed the effects of their long absence, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they struggled to get rhythm to their play, gave away many penalties and were sloppy at times in a contest punctuated by frequent stops.
Springboks end Test drought with win
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Debutant Fassi scores as world champion Springboks make winning return
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Georgia on their minds: Rusty world champions set for first assignment since winning World Cup Craig Ray © Copyright (c) Daily Maverick , All Rights Reserved
The last time the Springboks played a Test match the world had not heard of Coronavirus and Covid-19. Phrases such as “bio-bubble”, “lockdown levels”, “social distancing” and “vaccine roll-out” were not part of our everyday lexicon.
Wearing face masks was only something surgeons and some travellers did on international flights, while a Test featuring the world champions being played in an empty stadium was inconceivable.
But all that is the new reality of our daily life, and will be for the foreseeable future. The Springboks playing again gives some sense of normality to lives that are anything but normal.