Durban – “I can only apologise to the nation, I know that we have let them down. I take complete responsibility for that, and we have to improve. It is better that it happened now than at the World Cup,” Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer puffed.
As pre-World Cup send-offs go, it was everything that South Africa didn’t want.
The Boks, to a man, failed to turn up and Argentina feasted on the remnants of the worst Bok performance in recent history, dancing off with a famous victory, a first over their hosts.
It was a shambles, from the set-piece to the loose exchanges, and even to the farcical manner in which the Durban mob had to bay for Pat Lambie to come on to try to make a difference.
Last night, to sheer disbelief, everything that could go wrong for the Boks did.
“We were very lethargic, all of us, and I can’t actually explain why. If I thought there was some complacency in the build-up then I would understand, but we had a very good week,” returning captain Jean de Villiers bemoaned.
De Villiers couldn’t even find solace in getting through 80 minutes largely unscathed as he made his full comeback.
“It’s hard to find positives after a performance like that.
“I stopped worrying about personal things a long time ago, but I must say that was a very good performance by Argentina and we have to say well done to them.”
Meyer, subjected to howls and boos from large sections of the crowd, said the Boks had a lot to muse over, but was adamant they still had it in them to win the World Cup.
“We will go back to the video and analyse this, but I still have huge belief in this group and I still believe that we can win the World Cup.
“We have some big ball carriers coming back next week; guys like Willem (Alberts), Jannie (du Plessis), so we will get better.”
Meyer also paid tribute to the Pumas, who ran the Boks ragged on the night.
“People say they are underdogs but they are a very good team, as we saw. They came really close to beating New Zealand and Australia this year, and they have beaten Australia.
“It just goes to show that this World Cup will not have any easy games and we have to respect all opposition.”
The Boks head to Argentina under even more pressure and with even more questions to answer, and with time running out.
They then return to Durban to train until the final World Cup squad is announced by Meyer on August 28.
The Springboks also picked up more injury woes, with Marcell Coetzee suffering a worrying knee injury which saw him limp off last night.
De Villiers also took a blow to the chin, which was perhaps metaphorical as the nation was left reeling from a punch it never saw coming.
The Sunday Independent