South African Prop Ox Nche said “Springbox missed the script” late in Springbok.
The defending champion was expected to secure a victory against the Wallabies at his Ellis Park home, but the latter was a somewhat surprising winner as Boks ran out of defensive steam after Captain Siyakolisi was injured.
Nche was visibly annoyed by the defeat, but then he said, “At halftime, chat was just working, so it was just about doing things.
“They got three easy tries early, but that wasn’t from a good set piece. They were more active and ready and they made progress.
“They seemed more prepared than we did and they used every opportunity they had, but we weren’t. Everyone started going out to their own plans rather than sticking to the plans we had as a team.”
The Springbox director of Rugby Lassy Erasmus said he is usually dull in the evaluation of matches, saying, “This is probably one of the most embarrassing press conferences I’ve had in a while.
“We gave them a soft try or two — here an intercept from Manny Libbock pass, a pass from Andre Ester Izen that went to them, and they went back to the game.
“It wasn’t just a tactic – they physically ruled us. The longer the game, the stronger they became. At altitude, it should be us.
He added: “The saddest thing is five log points for them, and we didn’t even fight back to get away with the bonus points, so we’re at zero. They’re five.
Looking forward to the second clash with Australia next weekend, NCHE said there’s no time to relax.
“Personally, that means working harder, more preparation, better preparation. To do what you did last week and do it more.
Again, Erasmus was more direct, but he added that the coaching staff also has a play role.
“From now until next Saturday, we will take a lot of Flaks, but to be fair, we have to take Flaks when we are doing well, because we take credits when we are doing well.
“The player isn’t just what he wants. We guide them and choose a combination. If that doesn’t work, maybe the combination was wrong. Maybe the plan was wrong.