Elrigh Louw described making his debut for the Springboks in their nail-biting Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Wales at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday as “a dream come true”, although the big loose forward admitted that the Springboks had to show true grit to pull through the 32-29 victory.
“It was a dream come true," said Louw, who earned his first Test cap for South Africa, afterwards.
“We were under pressure, but the guys that came on in the second half built momentum and that’s exactly what their responsibility was.
“Going into the game I knew exactly what I had to do when I took the field, and it was great to see the confidence the other players gave me.”
With the pressure heaped on in the second half, Louw said he pushed emotions aside and simply focused on the task at hand.
“It was probably more emotional when I found out I made the team,” said Louw.
“When I ran onto the field I knew what I had to do, so I did not really think about the emotions. My mom and dad were obviously proud and I’m sure they had a tear or two in their eyes though”