Meyer's men will kick on
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer believes that the new combinations in his team performed well against England, and he is confident that they will grow in stature in the weeks to come.
The performance of the untested partnerships in the second row, loose trio and midfield were always going to be a vital aspect of Meyer's first Test match in charge, and he was full of praise for the new combinations which he believes will only get better once they play more rugby together at the highest level.
Both locks made their debut against England and Meyer said that considering their lack of experience he thought that they delivered exactly what he was looking for.
Young Eben Etzebeth brought a physical edge in the tight exchanges, and Juandre Kruger showed a composed disposition in charge of the line-outs, and Meyer said that he is excited about seeing them develop as they gain more experience.
"Eben [Etzebeth] is only 20 and in his first Test match he didn't stand back; the physicality was there. Because Juandre [Kruger] has played a lot of Super Rugby against the best in the world I thought he was very in charge and calm there which we definitely needed," he said.
The loose trio had been something of a talking point in the build-up to Meyer's debut Test in charge of the team, as the omission of star openside Heinrich Brussow from the squad was viewed as a bold move, but Meyer was happy with what he saw at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Boks were put under pressure at the breakdown in the first half and struggled to secure quick ball, but the advantage of having three big ball-carriers was plain to see after half-time as Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee and Pierre Spies got their side over the gainline regularly.
Meyer said that he knew Alberts would make an impact as long as he was fully fit, and added that he thought Coetzee made a convincing debut whilst Spies played one of his best Test matches for South Africa.
"I am very happy with the loose forwards, I thought Willem Alberts was brilliant - I spoke to him during the Super Rugby competition and told him that he was going to start so I wanted him at his best and he was awesome.
"I thought Marcell Coetzee had an unbelievable Test match, especially as he is a youngster who is only turned 21 two weeks ago. I thought Pierre [Spies] had one of his better Test matches as well so as a loose trio that have never played together I am very happy.
"I think it is difficult to stop guys at that speed who are big and great ball-carriers so I think they will just get better as a combination and although Keegan [did] not have a lot of time when he came on he also made a difference," he said.
There had also been some concern about how well Frans Steyn and his captain Jean de Villiers would link up in midfield, but Meyer said that he knew the two players would complement each other perfectly.
"Jean [De Villiers] and Frans [ Steyn] can be a brilliant combination, there is a lot of skill out there.
"What makes Frans a great player is that he has got the skill and he is tough, and Jean just gives us a different dimension at 13, I thought he was brilliant there especially on defence and I think it is a great combination going forward," explained the Bok coach.
Meyer made it clear that whilst it was by no means a flawless performance from his side, the victory over England was a solid starting point which he hopes to build on in the weeks to come by keeping continuity in selection.
The Test match in Durban was always going to be a revealing learning experience for the new coach, his team and their expectant fans, and the mission for the rest of the series will be to build on this initial performance by adjusting specific aspects of their game rather than fiddling with the new partnerships that have been assembled.
By Michael de Vries, in Durban