Fractured jaw ends Jean de Villiers’ World Cup

“This is just our first step forward at this World Cup and something we can build from here”, Vermeulen said.

“But there were many, many moments in my career that I will look back on with fondness”. That’s when I’m usually at my best and I’m usually true to myself. So it’s an unbelievable support we get here in England, I mean last week against Japan was also unbelievable.

“I’m also aware of the criticism that the coach is under for saving me”.

“As a whole squad, we know we are not where we want to be and we will have to keep improving”.

However it came at a cost with a number of players limping off, including Eben Etzebeth and Damian de Allende, two of their standout players on the day.

“We were stuck in our half. There’s a long way to go”, he added. “It’s not good enough to have one performance like that”.

Try hat-trick hero JP Pietersen was lauded as a “model of opportunistic brilliance”, whilst flyhalf Handre Pollard earned a laurel for his sound temperament.

Michael Stanley twice punished South African transgressions with successful kicks – the second of which sailed over from halfway. “The defence is more pleasing than the tries for me”.

“Samoa’s a quality side. So hopefully we can get the same this time around”. The thing I’m proudest of is the players put their bodies on the line.

He recovered and played the last Pool B game from the bench against Samoa. “Relief and just focused on the next one”.

He was initially a doubt to make the ongoing World Cup after fracturing his jaw – on the opposite side of his mouth to the current issue – in a defeat to Argentina in August, his first match since sustaining a knee injury last November. There are five or six other players with injuries.

Victor Matfield praised the influence of Meyer. He does so with intelligence, honesty and passion about the game, his teams and his opposition.

“I’m fortunate to have a World Cup winners’ medal but I don’t think I deserved it. I was very happy for the team and my friends but I was empty inside”.

South Africa struggled in the earlier periods of the match as Samoa demonstrated their customary physicality in the contact area, but ultimately the underdogs, who began their tournament with a 25-16 win over United States, could not emulate the feats of Japan.

“When the Springboks do well the country’s in a good place”.

Samoa next play Japan, eager to respond from a defeat where their intent was stated from the start, with the physicality epitomised by flanker TJ Ioane’s bone-crunching tackle on Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss.

“Against adversity he’s one who actually at all times seeks to triumph and raise the flag for South Africa”.

When the Springboks go well, we give them that hope.