JJ Harmse

Pretoria – The Springboks will start preparing on Monday for their next Test against Australia at Loftus knowing that their best is no longer good enough.

GALLERY: Boks v All Blacks

Not only do the Boks need to climb out of the pit following their gut-wrenching 22-29 defeat to the All Blacks, but they also need to hope for something or someone that can provide leadership or direction for the way ahead.

The usual guts and emotion – this time fueled by Victor Matfield’s 100th Test – will be there, and probably also the proven temperament of Frans Steyn and Jaque Fourie.

However, the biggest challenges are those facing coach Peter de Villiers and his management team. A large portion of the blame for the Tri-Nations defeat to New Zealand in the FNB Stadium has to go to them.

And even though Bok skipper John Smit was in tears after his missed tackle, he should not have been on the field then.

It was a tactical blunder by the coaching staff not to use all the substitutes at their disposal.

 “Sometimes those decisions work for you, but there can be other times when they don’t. Injuries forced me to make some moves. As for the others, one can debate whether it was a mistake or not,” De Villiers said.

De Villiers complained afterwards that the Boks had not continued with their direct approach, but did not call on Butch James and Wynand Olivier. Chiliboy Ralepelle’s usual three minutes could also have made a massive difference.

The fact that Morné Steyn had to stay on the field for a possible winning kick or drop goal shows another tactical shortcoming with the side that apparently only has one goalkicker.

In that sense Frans Steyn will be a valuable addition as he does not just cover flyhalf, centre, wing and fullback, but will also ensure that there is always a reliable kicker on the field.

Fourie’s return is a given after his one-month suspension, but De Villiers has some selection posers ahead of the clash with the Wallabies.

Francois Hougaard and Flip van der Merwe produced some fiery performances to stake their claim for another start, but the work-rate of a fit Danie Rossouw is a must.

Hougaard also needs to be backed up by someone similarly energetic and not Ricky Januarie.

The coach deserves credit for the bold selections of Hougaard and Van der Merwe, but the substitutes bench also needs to offer a possible change of tactics, which was not the case against the All Blacks.

With the Tri-Nations title lost, De Villiers can also look at other contenders.

Bismarck du Plessis, BJ Botha and Dewald Potgieter should all be in contention.

The players are there, but the challenge lies in how to utilise them.