By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber refused to blame his goalkickers after the Springboks missed 11 points in the crucial World Cup pool loss to Ireland on Saturday night.
The kicking woes that have beset the Boks in recent times came back to haunt them at the Stade de France.
Flyhalf Manie Libbok and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk both missed two kicks each.
The Boks and Ireland both scored a try a piece courtesy of Cheslin Kolbe and Mack Hansen respectively, the difference between the teams in a tight game being Ireland’s skipper Johnny Sexton and Jack Crowley who kicked eight points between them.
South Africa remained in contention until the final whistle through Kolbe’s score and Libbok penalty but paid a heavy price for some wayward goal kicking.
“Hats off to Ireland, they were better than us on the day,” said Nienaber. “We missed a couple of points off the tee. I won’t say that’s the sole reason for not getting across the line.
“In the first half alone we lost two balls close to the try line and had another two opportunities later on, so that’s four opportunities, plus those points off tee. But I won’t say it is only goal-kicking.
Ireland were roared home by an estimated 30,000 Irish fans on an unforgettable evening in the French capital.
Veteran fly-half Sexton felt the “insane” support was a vital factor in securing a statement victory.
“We’ve had some big days before in terms of results in the pools but I’ve never ever seen a crowd like that,” said the 38-year-old.
“Someone said there was 30,000 fans but there was no way it was 30,000.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if there was 60,000 and they were insane throughout. They gave us the lift that we needed.
Sexton also said what Libbok is going through from a kicking perspective is something that happens to every flyhalf at Test level.
“Manie did some amazing things, like setting up the try,” Sexton said.
“He’s a handful with the ball and he has an array of tricks, but every kicker goes through a stage in their career and I had a similar one in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
“It’s tough, but you get stronger off the back of that and when you do come out of the other side, you indeed become a better kicker.
“I don’t think there’s a kicker in the world that hasn’t gone through that period. He’s an outstanding player and gives them a different dimension.”
Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi urged his side not to dwell on the disappointing result as they seek to bounce back in a crucial clash with Tonga.
“The intensity of the game was exactly what we needed for a lot of players that have never played at such intensity,” said the flanker.
“The whole atmosphere was amazing on the field but we know exactly what we need to do as a group.
“We’ve got to lift our heads, we’ve got a big game coming and if we dwell too much on what happened, we will forget to perform next week.