There are plenty of sceptical South African pundits discussing the manner in which the Boks beat the spirited Welsh. While we toiled hard for victory it was clear to me that the Springboks still know how to win rugby matches, even if they’re not wowing the pundits with exhibition performances. Oh and for the record, I will join the bandwagon in saying that I too am glad I emerged unscathed from Eddie Butler and Brian Moore waving their willies in the face of objectivity. I think it’s safe to say we can pooh-pooh their ‘analysis’.

Victor Matfield was as modest as ever in his own review of the match and proved that he has the capacity to lead a team when they’re faced with difficult times and tenacious opposition. I also saw signs that Bakkies Botha might just have learned from his head-butting lesson, as he gave a measured showing alongside his ‘blood-brother’. He admitted in post-match interviews that the Welsh pack had attempted to incite him on a number of occasions, but that only served to make him play harder. This should serve as a positive reminder that he doesn’t need to play the thug to intimidate the opposition.

There are also plenty of South Africans still whinging about Mealamu’s reduced ban for head butting Lewis Moody. It’s time to stop finding ways to trip the All Blacks off their perch and begin focussing on on-field weaknesses we can exploit (that, I admit, will prove a tough task as they certainly are playing with swagger). Any team that beats the ABs next year will have an outstanding chance of securing the Webb Ellis trophy. We know the Springboks can win ugly, but we also know there’s more than enough talent at our disposal. It’s time for pundits to show a measure of optimism as we move forward. The ABs proved against the English and Scots that they set the current benchmark. They also set similar standards before the tournament in 2007 and we all know what ended up happening then.

The negativity that permeates our national dialogue is as persistent as the Egyptian geese that defecate in my pool. It’s as if there is an award for finding faults within our sportsmen. The squad and staff are well aware that they need to buck up their act. The loose forwards know they need to play as a collegial force and not as three puffed-up individuals. Bryan Habana knows he has to knuckle down to resemble the player that equalled Jonah Lomu’s record of eight tries in single tournament. Whether we like it or not, we’re stuck with Peter de Villers for the build-up to NZ 2011, so let’s at least show that as supporters we have some class.

We cannot continue to heckle our players and find faults within a team that is currently not just winning, but winning on tour. The Welsh game is now in the past and the Scots at Murrayfield are next up. So let’s begin the analysis of how we’re going to head into the game at Twickenham (which we all know is the one that will really count) still on course for a Grand Slam and begin naturalising a positive attitude towards the Springboks. We’re still World Champs and we need to believe we will be on 23 October 2011 at Eden Park.

The public opinion is shaped by-and-large by what the pundits say in their build-up to and analysis after the match. We must rid ourselves of any defeatism and criticism for-the-sake-of-column-inches, to refine an attitude of confidence ahead our next great sporting challenge. It’s not mawkish optimism when the team is winning.

[Business Day] [SuperSport] [SuperSport] [Keo] [SARugby] and for the hell of it [Wales Online]

Image via SA Rugby.