South African sports fans will still be beaming coming off the incredible high after a sporting weekend to remember which featured a Springbok victory over the old Aussie foe, and Dricus du Plessis defending his UFC middleweight title.
First, the Springboks were too good for hosts Australia in Perth in the Rugby Championship before Du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya less than 24 hours later. Both clashes took place in Perth, or ‘Perthfontein’ if you take into account the vast numbers of South Africans in the Australian city.
The Springboks delivered their 30-12 victory over the hosts, despite making 10 changes to their victorious side a week before. With the rain pelting down for most of the match, it was a largely scrappy encounter but not one that ever got away from the visiting men in green and gold.
Just for good measure, the Proteas also sealed a 1-0 Test series win over the West Indies over the weekend. In a low-scoring match which ended in three days in Providence, South Africa held their nerve to bowl out the Windies for 222 and a 40-run victory. After the first Test had been drawn, it meant South Africa also claimed the two-match series.
“𝐂![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐰![CDATA[]]>𝐛![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐲![CDATA[]]>𝐬 𝐝![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐧’𝐭 𝐜![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐲.”
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 18, 2024
🎥 POV: raw emotions and reactions from Dricus du Plessis after his win.#UFC305 pic.twitter.com/bXMDGhML8y
Cloud nine
The 30-year-old Du Plessis was on cloud nine after his first successful title defence.
“You mentioned my first successful title defence and people go ‘you’re not a champion until you defend that belt’. That’s bullsh*t. You’re a champion when you win that belt,” said Du Plessis afterwards.
“But I wasn’t a champion walking out there tonight. Before I walk out, they take the belt off me. The winner of this fight is the champion, so nobody is the champion when that first bell goes.
“I went out there tonight to fight for the world title and I became champion tonight. I went out there to fight like somebody who wanted this belt, not someone defending it.”
Proteas skipper, Temba Bavuma was relieved to have his charges pull through.
“We were just saying with the guys ‘winning away from home is never an easy feat. We should never take it for granted, let alone any Test victory for granted, so it’s very satisfying,” said Bavuma.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, meanwhile, heaped praise on his troops for producing the goods in a testing encounter.
“It’s great that, although things in the game was disrupted with rain and injuries to their front row, we had to adapt,” said Erasmus.
“I’m very pleased with the way Eben [Etzebeth], and a guy like Pieter-Steph [du Toit], and a lot of other guys, took ownership and helped each other, and luckily we got the result.”