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SOUTH Africa were “embarrassed” by the manner in which the Springboks lost their Rugby World Cup opener on Saturday. While the rest of the rugby world celebrated Japan’s famous win on Saturday, South Africans fell into despair. However, it would seem that the nation’s emotional state has now transitioned into absolute fury. Although the Springbok media were quick to praise Japan, they withheld any sense of forgiveness when analysing their own team.

Indeed the UK Sunday Times has reported that coach Heyneke Meyer now faces the sack. Rugby writer with SuperSport, Gavin Rich, described the defeat as “surely South African rugby’s most embarrassing moment in the history of the game”. Rich went further labelling the Springboks as an “embarrassment in terms of their passive defence, the arrogance of a captain who early in the game eschewed kickable penalties that would have made a difference to the result, as if he shouldn’t have learned his lesson already, and, last but not least, conceding a driving maul try to a pack that was diminutive by comparison.”

Writing on Afrikaans news site netwerk24.com, Gert van der Westhuizen argued that the defeat marked the “darkest day in Springbok history”. Putting the defeat into context, van der Westhuizen wrote: “South Africa lost to Japan. Not against the All Blacks. Not against the Wallabies. Not even against Argentina or Wales or England or Ireland. A country that 24 years ago last won a World Cup match (against Zimbabwe). A land that 20 years ago lost 17-145 to New Zealand. A land that last year still lost 21-61 against the New Zealand Maori (not the All Blacks). A land that is 13th on the world rankings. Really a land that was a joke in world rugby. A land that was made fun of over its small players and that could not even scrape together a super rugby team.”

Writing in a similar tone, Archie Henderson wrote on the timeslive.co.za: “As upsets go, this one ranks along with undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson being knocked out for the first time in his career by Buster Douglas or, more recently, Italian tennis player Roberta Vinci’s victory over Serena Williams at the US Open this month.”

Speaking on SuperSport after the game, former Italian coach Nick Mallet was shocked by South Africa’s performance. He told viewers: “There was some poor defence by South Africa, there was some poor rugby by South Africa, but to be absolutely honest, you don’t expect a side seeded second or third in the world to lose at a mutual venue against a team that isn’t even in the top 10.”

SA Rugby Magazine correspondent, Jon Cardinelli, despondently wrote after the game: “Nobody will be expecting the Boks to win the title after suffering a loss to the likes of Japan. On the basis of this performance, South Africa would do well to make the quarter-finals.”

For what it was worth, Meyer apologised to the nation in the aftermath of the defeat. The Guardian quoted the coach as saying: “I’ve to apologise to the nation. It was just not good enough. It was unacceptable and I take full responsibility.” Meanwhile, in the same newspaper, captain Jean de Villiers said: “There is still a possibility to make it out of the group and we need to win every game we’ve left, but it’s hugely disappointing. The character of this side will be tested. It’s not doom and gloom, but a massive dent to us.”

Despite the captain’s positivity and the coach’s apology, the South African Sunday Times argued that “for Meyer to keep even a tenuous hold on his job, the Boks would need to win the World Cup next month, a task that now looks increasingly unlikely”. — Online