Johannesburg - The 35-22 loss to the All Blacks on Saturday at Ellis Park was certainly disappointing, but one Springbok that can hold his head aloft with a sense of pride and accomplishment, despite the defeat, is Lukhanyo Am.
The Bok centre was, in a word, outstanding, even though his team would suffer an anti-climactic defeat at the hands of the New Zealanders. Nevertheless, Am once again made a chase to be included on the list of World Rugby’ best players on the planet. Even playing out of position on the wing did not stifle his brilliance.
He scored an impressive try by stiff-arming the heavyset Caleb Clarke in the first half to cross the whitewash. He also split the New Zealand defence in two, passed a magnificent ball out wide to Makazole Mapimpi, who crossed the line, but was then denied by referee Luke Pearce for an earlier team infringement.
He put in a decent defensive shift, If not spectacular; and in all made four clean breaks, clocked in 137m and beat five defenders.
Am is arguably playing the best rugby of his career, a pronouncement that he can agree positively on. Despite being on the losing side, Am could still have a slight chuckle at his own expense when asked if he was now targeting a starting berth at wing in the future.
Said Am, with a giggle and a smile: “With the 6-2 split we have in the team, as a player, you play where the team needs you at the time. Although I am a centre, I will slot in wherever I am needed.”
Nonetheless, Am and Co will rue their missed chances, including an early break that saw him fall centimetres short of the tryline; and THAT controversial, disallowed try on the hour mark.
“We will definitely go back to the drawing board and try to tweak (our gameplan),” Am vowed after the match. “There were opportunities that we missed and there were stuff that we need to improve upon. We are a quality side and we have shown it in the past.”
Some of that stuff that needs to be "improved" upon, is the defence.
The Boks missed 23 tackles on Saturday after missing 25 in the previous clash – far too many to keep a desperate side like New Zealand at bay. In that department, Am also promised that the Boks would attend to their failings.
“Missed tackles do happen. We really back our defensive system and we have proven it so many times and in so many Tests.
“At times,” he added, “with high speed (attacks) and in rushing up while closing down teams, it pays off but at times you will miss tackles. We won’t really question the system (going forward).
“It is individual errors … We have to find ways to improve on that for the future when we face similar teams with that style of rugby.”
After a review of this game and a few days of rest, Am and his teammates will shift their focus towards Australia. The Boks travel Down Under for back-to-back matches against the Wallabies, starting next week Saturday at the Adelaide Oval.
“We have got the experience (to beat the Wallabies), and I think going to Australia will be another exciting leg,” Am insisted.
“How it has gone for us in Australia for the last couple of seasons, it will be another opportunity to try and get a win for the first time since 2013, if I am not mistaken. It is another big one for us but we will definitely look at where we can improve.”
If there were 15 Ams on the field, then perhaps no such improvement would be needed.
IOL Sport