South Africa rally late to make Springboks history

The aromas hit you virtually from stepping out of the station and on to the Whitton Road that runs down from Twickenham town centre towards the amphitheatre now known as Allianz Stadium. Up the nostrils the scent of braais, biltong and boerewors swirled from the stands along the street side, the many South

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

African shop-keeps in this pleasant patch of suburban London glad to have compatriots for company on the day the Springboks took over Twickenham.

It really is quite a sight, a great migration to rival any of those across the Highveld plains. Out of every corner of the southwest of the city the South Africans emerge, the train down from Waterloo busier and busier still as it progresses through Wandsworth and Clapham Junction. They come early, too, all backing the Bokke with shirts of deep green. Nominally an Argentina home fixture, this was as partisan a South African crowd as you could find; Springbok visits to this particular parish may be becoming more and more regular but enthusiasm for Siya Kolisi's double world champions has not yet dimmed.

“You can definitely feel them, especially when things don’t go your way,” two-try scrum half Cobus Reinach hailed of the support after South Africa prevailed 29-27 to retain their Rugby Championship crown. “There were a c***-load of them out there, and we play the game for them and our country back home.”

There were 70,360 in all, parts of the top tier empty but the grand old ground not far from full. All but a small scattering of Argentina fans - clad largely, seemingly, in Lionel Messi shirts to perhaps show where their true loyalties lie - seemed South Africa-drawn, standing proud to belt out the anthem in five languages.