Fourie du Preez had been waiting and waiting, and finally got what he wanted with six minutes left in an enthralling start to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
An attacking scrum.
Du Preez, the scrumhalf and captain of South Africa, which was losing to Wales by one point at the time, had a move up his sleeve. "Go left," he told No. 8 Duane Vermuelen in Afrikaans.
The scrum was in the left corner, 15 metres out from the Wales tryline and 20 metres in from touch. Du Preez stood on the openside along with every other South African back to put Wales replacement scrumhalf Lloyd Williams in two minds.
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer, fretting in the stands, thought his forwards should hold the ball in, force a penalty.
But the scrum twisted left, which was also where Vermuelen burst to the short side. Williams grabbed a leg, and winger Alex Cuthbert was drawn in to stand up the big No. 8. Suddenly, du Preez flashed into view, took a brilliant little flipped pass from Vermuelen, and sprinted free into the corner for the 23-19, match-winning try.
For the last five minutes, the Welsh were pinned in their half, and fulltime left them doubled over or on their knees, broken-hearted again.
The Springboks were all but out on their feet, too, but cheered by knowing they were going to their second semifinals in this century.
And du Preez and Vermuelen, among the selections that Meyer was criticized for before the World Cup because they were injured, pulled out of the hat the try that propelled them there.
"That try was pure genius," Meyer said. "I would like to kiss Fourie." He was only half joking. "And," he added, "they (critics) say he doesn't have any more pace."
Du Preez said they'd noticed on video that the Wales No. 9s would stay behind the scrum when it turns, so he thought he'd decoy to the openside, and get Vermuelen to run at the winger. Typically, he deflected the credit to Vermuelen.
"Duane created an unbelievable pass, and it just shows what a big game player he is," du Preez said.
Vermuelen passed the credit back: "I heard a noise, but I just don't know how I did that (pass). Well done to him for being in the right place at the right time."
The try was the sixth and last time the lead changed in a match in which 79,500 spectators at Twickenham dared not leave their seats. It even took Meyer's breath away. "I feel like I need some oxygen," were his opening remarks at the post-match conference.
Wales should have had a try in the third minute. Rookie centre Tyler Morgan stripped counterpart Damian de Allende of possession and began a counterattack which put the ball in the hands of Gethin Jenkins. The veteran prop had the foresight to see Morgan unmarked on the far right, but threw a high miss-out pass that missed everyone.
When Wales did cross, it came out of nowhere. Du Preez hit a clearing kick straight down the middle to Welsh flyhalf Dan Biggar, who launched an up and under back into South Africa's quarter. Willie le Roux over-ran it and Biggar regathered, then passed with defenders all around him to scrumhalf Gareth Davies, who beat the cover to the right of the posts.
Biggar's dropped goal in injury time put Wales ahead by one at the break, but they'd had to work far harder for their points than South Africa, for whom flyhalf Handre Pollard kicked over four penalties gifted from basic errors.
South Africa edged possession at halftime, and thanks to Schalk Burger, Francois Louw and Vermuelen, were making frequent dents in the Welsh line. But Wales' defence, its kick-chase tactics, choke tackling, and captain Sam Warburton's superb foraging, were forcing turnovers to keep the game on a knife edge.
After the break, Pollard and Biggar traded more penalties and dropped goals, to leave Wales up 19-18 with 14 minutes to go.
But du Preez, a 2007 Cup champion who retired after the 2011 Cup and overcame a broken ankle and torn knee ligaments to make this tournament, spurred his side to lift their tempo.
"I could see their big guys were lying around, and starting to slow down the game," du Preez said. "I knew we had a lot of gas left, and told the guys if they keep pushing and pushing we'll get through."
They got through, to a semifinal against the New Zealand All Blacks.
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