Kurt-Lee Arendse Hails Springboks’ 61–7 Win Over Japan As “A Good Start” to Tour

• Kurt-Lee Arendse has aired his opinion on South Africa's win over Japan in their first match in the end-of-year tour
• The Springboks defeated the Asian nation at Wembley Stadium in London, England, with Arendse being named the Man of the Match
• The Rugby World Cup winner was hailed by social media users for his performance against Japan online

Kurt-Lee Arendse has reacted to the Springboks’ emphatic 61-7 victory over Japan at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday night, November 1, 2025, as they started their end-of-year tour on a winning note.

The encounter in London marked the beginning of five consecutive Saturday Tests in Europe, with South Africa set to face France next in Paris, followed by clashes against Italy, Ireland, and Wales.

Arendse was named Man of the Match after a stellar performance in which he consistently broke tackles and made impressive runs throughout the full 80 minutes. The Springbok winger crossed the try line twice, with his first coming after he capitalised on a loose ball that a Japanese player failed to collect.

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Arendse reacts to Springboks' win over Japan

Arendse credited the win to a collective team effort, saying he was simply pleased with the victory despite Japan putting up a strong challenge. He acknowledged that the scoreboard didn’t fully reflect the difficulty of the match but expressed satisfaction with the result.

The winger, who has been among the Springboks’ top ten try scorers since last year, said he doesn’t focus on how many more tries he might score, as long as he can keep contributing to the team’s success.

He also noted the importance of adapting to different conditions, describing the result as a positive start to the Autumn Series. While admitting there were areas that needed improvement, he said the team would take the win and build on it moving forward.

Here is what fans are saying about Kurt-Lee Arendse's performance against Japan.

Alida Mouton said:

"Well done Kurt-Lee Arendse, you truly deserved that Man of the Match award! Congratulations."

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Lisa Binos Gair shared:

"Love him. He's a real team player. Well done!"

Razisch Maleiba wrote:

"Congratulations Champion well deserved man of the match. 👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉."

Faith Slater reacted:

"Hey we the Boks dominate the domination lol we go Bokke wow that's the beginning watch what we do next."

Bassil Williams commented:

"It's looks like he never been away."

ShaldonSA added:

"Sacha is the player he knows he is he got the sauce! 😏 welcome back KLA ,amazing overall play by the Boks. 🇿🇦💪...on the the next one. Remember Boks every game from here on out is a challenge don't take your foot of the paddle keep it going."

Ex-Springboks coach joins new team

Briefly News also reported that a former Springboks coach has secured a new role after leaving the Bulls months ago.

The rugby veteran is said to tasked with playing a big role in his new job ahead of the 2026 season.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News