YOKOHAMA – Trevor Nyakane's likely Rugby World Cup exit will add insult to injury for the wounded Springboks after Saturday’s 23-13 defeat to the All Blacks.
Immediately after the clash, the Boks' worst fears were confirmed when coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that Nyakane had suffered what is suspected to be a serious leg injury.
Even as Nyakane limped off late in the game, the emotion on his face seemed to reveal that his World Cup was run before it had even really begun.
The powerful prop, who many believed deserved to be starting ahead of Frans Malherbe, had come into the game under an injury cloud after twisting his knee in a warm-up game against Japan.
The Boks will now most likely bid farewell to the affable front-rower, while unpacking where it all went wrong on Saturday.
In fairness, their World Cup opener was won and lost in the first half, with the Boks squandering a strong start to fall 17-3 behind at the break.
It was during a 20-minute spell before that halftime interval that saw the Springboks fail to deal with some intelligent tactical play from the All Blacks, who used their out-of-hand kicking as a highly effective weapon.
Both of the All Blacks' tries in the first half, scored by George Bridge and Scott Barrett, ultimately resulted from the Boks' failure to contend with well-placed kicks.
And although the Boks did launch a rousing comeback during the early stages of the second period, it was only really the dynamic Cheslin Kolbe who seemed to have much of a spark.
Ultimately, the Springboks will have a fair bit of introspection, while also considering who to call-up should Nyakane be forced to fly home.
