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Cape Town - Former national coach Jake White says the Springboks’ style of play during their win over the All Blacks should not be criticised.
South Africa’s 36-34 win in Wellington at the weekend was built on a staunch defensive effort - the Boks made a whopping 235 tackles and enjoyed only 25% possession.
Via a column for the All Out Rugby website, White said those stats didn’t matter.
“Those numbers are meaningless because we got 36-34. Rugby is one of the only games in the world where you can win without the ball, where you don’t need possession to win. Historically, South Africa have done that more times than the other way round," White wrote.
READ: 15 staggering stats from the Boks' heroic All Blacks win
White, who coached the Boks to World Cup glory in France in 2007, added that the team deserved praised for employing the right tactics on the day.
“You have to find a way to win every weekend, and to do that you have to find a style that suits you. Every South African enjoyed that Test match, including the players, because that style suits us. The actual grit and determination, sticking together, and fighting on our tryline epitomises Springbok rugby. Bok fans must come to accept the fact that this is how you win Test matches.”
