Strauss didn't hear half-time booing

Cape Town - Springbok captain Adriaan Strauss says he did not hear the boos that filled Ellis Park at half-time in Saturday's 32-26 win over Ireland. 

The Boks were greeted by a chorus of boos at the break when referee Angus Gardner brought the first stanza to a close with the score at 19-3 in favour of the visitors. 

A spirited comeback in the last 20 minutes of the match saw the Boks pull victory out the bag, and all was forgiven. 

Strauss, speaking after the match, said he had not heard the booing at the break. 

"To be honest with you, I only heard that we got booed off now," Strauss said at the post-match press conference.

"Maybe I was thinking too many things at that stage.

"What I can remember is that every time we got momentum in the second half ... I couldn’t actually hear and it was very loud when we got into the corners and went for the lineout.

"On the throws I couldn’t actually hear the calls."

Strauss added that the second half support had played a major role in the Boks getting over the line.

"The momentum just kept on building and as the supporters got behind us it really helped and the flow of the game shifted," he said.

"I found it very positive, especially in the second half. I didn’t actually hear the boo, I heard the positives in the second half and it really helped us."

Coach Allister Coetzee said he understood the frustrations of the supporters, but he also encouraged South Africans to get behind their team.

"Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is entitled to his opinion. So are we," said Coetzee.

"And as long as we believe as a team that we’re on the right track and we’re doing the right things and our players are selfless in what we’re doing, then we’re fine.

"I know we will embark on this journey and become a good team.

"Tonight is just a little building block to say that ‘this is South Africa ... don’t write us off’. We understand and we take it because we know that Springboks don’t lose easily. We accept that.

"But we also do not accept that we’re nothing, lying still. We will come out and put up performances like this so it will always be half full."

The third and final Test against Ireland takes place in Port Elizabeth this weekend with the series tied at 1-1.