Springboks number eight Jasper Wiese has credited the experienced players around him for his superb form in the 2022 Rugby Championship.
The South Africans ended the tournament with a bittersweet 38-21 win over Argentina in Durban on Saturday, falling short of making up the 39 points differential laid down by a solid All Blacks performance in Auckland.
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Nevertheless, the Test in Durban saw a strong performance from the Springboks and a strong comeback effort from Argentina in the second half.
Sparkling performance
Wiese was awarded man-of-the-match for his dynamic performance and credited Argentina for their efforts but underlined the disappointment of not claiming the title.
“It is always tough playing Argentina,” Wiese said, adding: “They put on a hell of a performance. Lucky we got the win, but it’s a bit disappointing not to win the Rugby Championship.
“We wanted to get the [winning] margin we needed, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it. But we got the win over a very tough side.”
The number eight refused to take credit for his form and decided to share that with the team, who have been crucial in helping him find his best form.
“I must give it to the more experienced guys that have helped me settle in,” said Wiese.
“There’s tough competition within the team, and we keep pushing one another to play well. So, I certainly can’t take credit as an individual.”
Wiese is well and truly the incumbent number eight for the Springboks, having risen above veteran Duane Vermeulen in the pecking order. However, the Leicester Tiger sees it as a massive challenge to fill the Springbok great’s role and believes he can still improve.
“For me, it is always important to perform well,” he said.
“It’s a big task to fill someone like Duane’s boots, but I have learned a lot from him.
“It would be great to tour with the team at the end of the year, and there are things I definitely would like to work on, such as improving on my mistakes and becoming a better player.”
Momentum for the Springboks
Wiese believes the three wins on the bounce to close out the Rugby Championship have built positive momentum for the end-of-year tour despite falling short of the title.
”The [Rugby Champs] was great preparation for the year-end tour.
“It’s going to be a tough tour, and the momentum we built up in the last few weeks [winning three consecutive games] will certainly be valuable for the side.”
The 26-year-old will return to Leicester Tigers to join the Premiership club’s title defence after Steve Borthwick’s men have started decently with two wins from their opening three games.
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