Boks must make amends Down Under

THE Springboks stood on the precipice of further denting the aura of the All Blacks, but when they stared down into the dark abode before them, they found a wounded beast glaring back at them.

Arguments and debates will surely continue this week regarding the tactics selections and game plan of Bok mentor Jacques Nienaber but the conclusion will be the same: the Green and Gold had a rare opportunity to inflict a third straight defeat on their opponents in the modern era, at Ellis Park.

Instead, through their own lack of concentration, game management and adapting to what was in front of them, they fell back into a game plan that had become inadequate as the match progressed due to various factors – including injury – and let slip the golden goose.

For the All Blacks, it is a momentary respite from the building pressure that their coach – Ian Foster – and captain – Sam Cane – have been under the last month or so.

Nienaber and Co will have to have a serious bosberaad in the coming days to decide how they will attend to their own failings, while the team will need to do some introspection as to how they let such an important, psychological advantage pass them by.

In a fortnight they will face Australia Down Under in the first of backto- back clashes in that country, and they will need an immediate solution and a bit more flexibility in how they apply their plan and strategies to their own match- day selections. It will be a challenge, however.

The Boks have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 2013, and the recent record of the last 10 matches reads SA won three, Australia won five, and two draws – hardly inspiring.

If the Boks are to come good during this Rugby Championship, they must win at least one of the two matches in Australia, if not both, which will set them up for a final run against Argentina.

Luckily, Nienaber and Co have the players, experience and tools to do just that.