Springbok supporters came out not only in numbers but also brought their own A-game for the rugby Nations Championship match between South Africa and England at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday.
SA Rugby probably won't admit it, but they would have sighed in relief after Joburg came out en masse on Saturday night to watch the Springboks against England.
The week-long concern was that the governing body had priced out their most precious commodity – the fans – and there seemed to be a rapid de-escalation during the week regarding ticket prices, which paved way for a crowd target of 91% (57 000) at Ellis Park.
Originally, tickets were as high as R1,350 (£60.75), but by Friday, that had decreased significantly. It seemed to reinvigorate the support base, who crammed into the fabled cathedral of rugby to watch the Boks eviscerate the English 45-21 in a powerful, albeit at times unpolished, display.
Those concerns were quickly forgotten by the heaving crowd within the stadium bowl as the Boks finished their business with brutal efficiency, putting the visitors to the sword.
