Coach Rassie Erasmus says Manie Libbok “will get a lot of flack” but was not responsible for the Springboks’ one-point defeat against Argentina in Santiago del Estero on Saturday.
Replacement flyhalf Manie Libbok had a chance to get the Boks back in the lead with just over a minute to go, but he pulled his penalty kick from the right. The 29-28 defeat at the hands of Los Pumas spoiled the Boks’ 100% in the tournament this year.
After going 17-0 in opening 14 minutes of the Test, the Springboks conceded four tries in 20 minutes in a chaotic period in the first half, which coincided with a yellow card for wing Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Poor defence and botched lineouts put the Boks on the back foot, as Argentina kept their slim Rugby Championship hopes alive with the win.
The teams will now face off at the Mbombela Stadium next week, with the Boks needing a point to win their first Rugby Championship since 2019.
“Not just for us to win the game, but for him personally, I was really hoping that he kicked that kick,” Erasmus said after the Test. “He has been kicking well this whole week and kicked so well in the warm-up. He slotted everything, but that’s pressure.
“I don’t think the game should have come down to the wire, with one man kicking it over. There were lots of opportunities where we lost the ball in lineouts, giving away penalties in their 22.
“It was not a great display by us. Manie is going to get a lot of flak, we all know that. He must find a way to manage that. I am sure we will all get a lot of flak for him missing that kick. But it shouldn’t have been on the last kick for us to win. We should have done it much earlier.”
Erasmus defended his team’s selection after leaving many of his big guns back in South Africa, while captain Siya Kolisi spent the first half in the coach’s box and the second half in the dugout.
The coach also mentioned that the yellow card was a big factor, but it was their discipline that let them down when they had Argentina on the ropes in their own 22-metre area.
Argentina, on the other hand, showed just how dangerous they can be on the counter and exploiting space, especially when Arendse was off the field. They like when the game gets loose and exploited the Boks’ mistakes.
Time to shift the focus, a massive Test awaits in Mpumalanga next weekend 👀#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #ARGvRSA pic.twitter.com/RQkpChhH5w
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 21, 2024
“We did start well. I am always nervous when we start so well. We tend to be a team that counter-attacks from behind. We should have put them away from that start,” Erasmus said.
“Unfortunately we got the yellow card. Argentina exploited that really well. They got outside our defence really well. They scored two tries while Kurt-Lee was off. So I think that was the momentum shift.
“There are no excuses for the second half. We were 15 men. It was a closely battled game. We never saw ourselves as the favourites, because we left a few guys at home. We wanted a few guys to experience playing in Argentina, but we desperately wanted to win.
“Argentina deserved the win. They played better on the day than us. It’s nice pressure on us again now. There’s a lot that we didn’t achieve today.”
@JohnGoliath82