Springbok captain Jean de Villiers echoed his coach on Saturday, saying a lack of experience was critical in their narrow loss to Australia.
South Africa took the field with one of their most inexperienced team in years and the Wallabies made a second-half comeback aided by the visitors' mistakes after veteran campaigners Bryan Habana (ankle) and Jannie du Plessis (hamstring) were forced off injured.
"People ask: 'What does experience bring to the game?' and it is exactly that. I think Nathan Sharpe had more caps than our whole pack just about," said De Villiers after the 26-19 defeat.
"The more you play together, the more that you play Test match rugby, you will learn from those mistakes and you will know how to handle it," he added.
"You have to put everything into perspective.
"I don't think that we can suddenly expect to be the greatest team in the world and just click and play fantastic rugby.
"We need to learn from the experiences, we need to grow as a team and that takes some time. We want to be winning every single game that we play and those pressures from the media, from the fans, we feel them at times.
"But we believe that we are on the right track, we believe that we played much better rugby today and hopefully we can keep on improving when we play next week as well.
"It is a young team but it is Test match rugby and you don't have a lot of time to grow at this level. We need to quickly rectify those mistakes and hopefully get a better result next week," he explained.
De Villiers added that the Boks' inability to drive their advantage home during their first-half dominance was an issue that needed to be resolved quickly.
"I thought that we had opportunities to score one or two more tries but those are the margins that decide Test matches," he said.
"You get two or three opportunities and if you don't take them you probably end up on the losing side and that's what happened today.
"I am happy that we are creating those opportunities but we need to capitalise on them."
De Villiers gave the Wallabies credit for manner in which they fought back after staring a third consecutive defeat in the face.
"To come back from 13-3 down and win a test match by seven points is pretty special and credit must go to them for doing that," said De Villiers.
"They were also under pressure and in difficult circumstances you tend to see who can put their hand up and who can play at this level and who can make the difference.
"I reckon that their coaches will be pretty happy tonight and definitely the team stepped up and they performed tonight."
Comments
Ferdie says...
RonManager - and for the AB 22 - seven had six or less caps, seven 50+ and the rest in-between - as the seniors head for eventual retirement there's a good process of introducing new players.
Posted 12:22 10th September 2012
passtheball says...
Are there any coaches in SA that can change the way sides play or (heresy) do you need to look overseas to exploit the local talent and become less predictable. SA got away with it during Jake White's time and he had a wonderful run in the W Cup draw 2007 too but sides now are well prepared for the type of rugby that was played then. For example, NZ brought in wings that are fullbacks to nullify the up and under and then counter-attacked. Rules are coming in to squash the rolling maul too - thank goodness.
Posted 12:07 10th September 2012
APV1 says...
How many Caps does J d-V have? And he was probably the worst player on the pitch. There's a lot more to playing Test rugby than experience.
But bringing Bakkies back into the squad for EE will certainly bring "experience"..!
Posted 11:56 10th September 2012
Bones7 says...
@bloemboy, apologies. I didn't see him on the pitch in fairness but with Bekker you can't always assume that because you haven't seen him do anything that he isn't playing!
Posted 07:11 10th September 2012
Sharkies says...
Every player has played super 15 or simliar experience to make it to the Springboks, there should be no lack of experience, Instead kicking for touch in the 22 than kicking an Up & Under is not lack of experience its just plain dumb and shows no game plan. Meyer I am afraid is making PDV look fantastic. The boks need to up their tempo since when do you walk slowly to line outs it was like watching Grid Iron. Get rid of half those guys and play a mixed team of all the best in the provinces. I wont bother to go watch that rubbish again would rather donate it to charity.
Posted 04:43 10th September 2012
georgesmith says...
JDV.. did u take some money from the bookies? I have never seen you ever play that bad. it just wasn't the JDV i knew. how can you put inexperience as an excuse when an experienced player like you cost the Springboks. Well, not entirely you, but you had a part in it. Major part.
Posted 22:47 09th September 2012
bloemboy says...
@Bones7, I need to point out that everyone was better than Bekker on Saturday, because HE WASNT PLAYING!!!
Posted 17:41 09th September 2012
passtheball says...
Don't despair guys - there is next week and the ABs aren't playing that well - yet.
Zandberg -- JDV was good for light relief
Posted 14:53 09th September 2012
melkdave says...
I will also add ,the bokke packs failure at scrumtime was very alarming.The wallabies are renowned for having a weak scrum,yet they held their own ,and even got on top at times of a very experianced SA frontrow and pack,who also had a big wieght advantage to boot..A very poor game all round from the bokke pack failed to dominate in any department .
Posted 14:42 09th September 2012
bokke31 says...
HM should learn some words like : make a pass, keep the ball more than 10", a TRY, Goosen, Lambie, Jantjies, Morne OUT (with Mvovo), run, instead of lack of experience. that's bullsh*t. i'm so angry (13-3 at halftime).
We suck. we can't find a coach for the international level ? with him the young star stay at the country or on the bench (very very gooooood for the EXPERIENCE this tactic. we have to target the WC in 3yrs. in 3yrs Morne 31yrs old goosen 22 and lambie 25, anyway.)
HM you are so boring and predictable, my U15 team can defend against you. when boks try to attack at the end of the game, players were lost on the field, unable to keep the ball, that was so pathetic and this is maybe the most serious. now boks are unable to attack, we decrease year after year with the best player who don't play. (except coetzee and etzebeth)
i'm so disappointed.
Posted 13:05 09th September 2012
Zandberg says...
Jean is a nice guy and always a gentleman, but sadly he is talking rubbish and his own game isn't good enough (bit like John Smit). The "experienced" guys are the ones who are letting the team down, particularly Jean himself. His poor tackling led to the first try and started the rot. He is not leading by example. It is just complete nonsense. I agree he doesn't belong in the starting 15. Make anyone else (? Adrian Strauss, ? Habana, ? Pienaar, ?Frans) captain - his captaining is also bad. In past two games with few minutes left he should be telling players not to kick the ball away. Also yesterday with 10min left and 7 points behind he should have taken a kickable penalty for the posts. Would have had 8 minutes left to play for a win, rather than desperate hopeless scramble for a draw. Team to be something like: Beast (till Coenie back), Adrian (c), Jannie/Pat, Alberts/Flo (till Heinrich back), Coetzee, Vermeulen, Juandre, Flip (until Eben's red card served out), Pienaar, Goosen, Frans, Jaun de Jong, Habana, Hougaard or Mvovo, Lambie. Never thought I'd miss Peter De Villiers, at least we got some laughs...
Posted 12:26 09th September 2012
passtheball says...
Time for SA to take some risks but this coach is not the one to do it. Sad to see Habana employed mainly to chase high kicks. Look how the Lions won the Currie Cup last time and the way the Cheetahs play sometimes - the players are there.
Posted 11:00 09th September 2012
RonManager says...
But how inexperienced is the Boks XV, really? For comparison: 4 of the ABs starters against LPs had 5 or fewer caps. Inconceivable that the Boks snatched defeat from an Aus side lacking many first-choice players. JdV is parroting Meyer's euphemism of inexperience to excuse poor tactics and results. Inexperience in the captaincy and some of the coaching staff perhaps, but not overall.
Posted 10:55 09th September 2012
melkdave says...
Once again i read about the bokke being an inexperianced team ,and once again i say what utter BS.Thjat was a very experianced team overall.Beast is experianced .J.dePlassey is experianced,W.Alberts is experianced,Hogaard is experianced R.Pineer is experianced,MStyen is experiancedF.Styen and JdV are experianced B.Habana is experianced even Z.Kirchner has had 2-3 years of international rugby How can this possibly be an inexperianced team.Excuses excuses escuses it sounds like to me for players not exacuting even HMs sorry gameplan.
Posted 10:36 09th September 2012
Bones7 says...
Lacking experience?! The only inexperienced players in the side were Vermeulen, Coetzee and Etzebeth and all three were good! Coetzee and Etzebeth have been the Boks standout players of the tournament and Vermeulen came in not fully fit and still looked a class above some of the forwards like du Plessis, Mtawarira and Bekker
Posted 10:18 09th September 2012
carpelone says...
Gracious words, however I did have the impression of cluelessness, rather than inexperience.
The captain must be close to the ref, scrumhalf is ok too.
Inexperience is excusable, playing without passion no.at least we know who is not Test material Mvovo, Steyn and Kirchener, please resign. And you, Jean, you would be a good sub for the 12 jersey.
Posted 09:38 09th September 2012
leebok says...
The inexperience is in the Management & Captaincy.
Posted 08:59 09th September 2012
Flyman says...
Excuses excuses stats and other lies! Change the game plan!
Posted 03:07 09th September 2012
Ramage says...
He actually believes they played better and are o the right track> Amazing!
Posted 01:19 09th September 2012
scot_rsa says...
I like this guy as a player and he has bravely taken on the captaincy but it isn't working on the field and his language off the field is wrong too. Always excuses. Beast is experienced and he did something daft. Morne is experienced and he looked clueless when he got the ball. JdV himself is experienced and he fell off tackles. If those guys can't lead by example you're stuffed. Goosen and Lambie on the other hand looked born for the task, composed and ready to play their own game and accept the consequences.
Posted 21:02 08th September 2012