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Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard heaped praise on his teammates for fighting their way back from last week's heartbreaking defeat to a gritty win in Cape Town.
The Springbok's 30-22 victory against Australia saw them retain the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate. They are currently in third place on the Castle Lager Rugby Championship standings on four points â- the same as Argentina, although they boast a better points' difference â- trailing Australia by one point, and log leaders New Zealand by two points after two rounds.
In the other match on Saturday night, Argentina defeated New Zealand 29-23 in Buenos Aires, to throw the competition wide open with four rounds remaining.
"It was a tough week for us and rightfully so," said Pollard, who also became the second player to pass 800 Test points for the Springboks.
"We were disappointed with the result last week, so it was challenging to balance the emotions and tactics for the game. But we learned a lot from the last game, and we hit the sweet spot toward the end of the week.
"We may have a lot of senior guys in the squad, but several younger players are stepping up as well, and we take lessons from everyone, and that's what got us over the line this week."
Pollard, who slotted three penalty goals and three conversions for a personal points tally of 15 points, was modest about being named the player of the match: "It was all about the team. The win was the only thing we needed, and a lot of guys played very well, so although I got the award, it was mainly about getting the result."
When quizzed about how the Boks felt about all the negativity surrounding their round-one defeat against the Wallabies at Ellis Park, the double Rugby World Cup winner said: "People care about the Springboks and that's something we always have to remember. They are allowed to be disappointed when we lose and excited when we win.
"We understand that responsibility on our shoulders, and we try to get the desired result more often than not."
Pollard, who made his debut for the Springboks in 2014, said playing for South Africa remained incredibly special despite all the accolades over the decade that he has been playing, and he cherished still being part of the squad.
"For me, it was never about trophies, medals, or awards," said Pollard. "It's about playing for South Africa, and if you play one Test it's a privilege, or for a few years as I have, it remains unbelievable. The older one gets, you appreciate it even more because the end is getting closer.
"This is such an unbelievable group of men, coaches, and management, you want to be part of it as long as you can, and to do that, you must work hard and play well. We want to win, keep South Africa right up there and make the country proud."
The Springboks will depart for New Zealand on Tuesday, where they will face the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, 6 September, and then at the Sky Stadium in Wellington a week later on 13 September.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will name his squad for the second leg of the tournament in the next two days, following a proper assessment of the injuries in the squad.
