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Cape Town - The Springboks are bitterly disappointed with the 57-0 loss they suffered against the All Blacks on Saturday night in North Harbour and coach, Allister Coetzee, has vowed that his side will work extremely hard to bounce back in the two remaining home matches of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of the best side in the world, who took a 31-0 halftime lead at the QBE Stadium in Albany, Auckland.
Coetzee said afterwards: “We were very disappointed in our set piece and the amount of turnovers we conceded. New Zealand pounced on our mistakes and punished us.”
The South Africans travelled to New Zealand on the back of a draw in Australia and two good wins over Argentina. Coetzee cautioned beforehand that the Boks would have to be accurate and defensively solid in taking on the All Blacks in Albany.
“Our execution on the night was bad and we must give credit to the All Blacks for a clinical display. Early on in the game we felt that we were dominating the collisions, territory and possession. Then one pass goes stray and you stand under your poles.
“I am obviously very disappointed and the players are all hurting, and it was definitely not through a lack of effort. We kept on fighting and there were passages of great defence, passages of attack but in the end not good enough,” Coetzee added.
South Africa now host the Wallabies and All Blacks in consecutive home matches, in Bloemfontein and Cape Town respectively.
“We have no option but to fight back in our two remaining matches in South Africa. I have seen what this team can do in six matches this year, and I have no doubt that we will turn it around. We will learn from this experience and get stronger.
“The changes to the All Black side definitely added to their strong performance and it clearly shows the depth and continuity they have in their squad,” according to the Springbok coach.
The Springboks lost prop Coenie Oosthuizen and flanker Jaco Kriel after the Wallaby match in Perth, while regular scrumhalf Ross Cronje was withdrawn from the team on the eve of the match because of a stomach bug.
However, Coetzee offered no excuses. The All Blacks were a dominant force and they showed why they are the top side in the world.
“We will stick to our processes, continue to improve in all areas and work extremely hard to bounce back,” said Coetzee.
The Springbok squad arrive on Sunday at 17:00 at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
