'We let our country down'
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer did not hold back when he expressed his disappointment in his team's 16-all draw with the Pumas in Mendoza on Saturday.
Using words like "very disappointed" and "not good enough" Meyer said. He pointed to the battle at the breakdown as one of the biggest problems in the game for his team.
This follows after his team's dismal showing in Round Two of the Rugby Championship, which came just a week after they had beaten the same Pumas team 27-6 in Cape Town.
Bok captain Jean de Villiers also admitted that South Africa will have to take a hard look at themselves.
"We let our country down and we let ourselves down … it is unacceptable," a bitterly disappointed Meyer said.
"We always knew it was going to be very difficult here [in Mendoza]. There is a lot of passion. A lot of the guys are inexperienced, but that is not an excuse."
Asked where the problems started, the Bok coach pointed to the breakdowns.
"[It is] the same thing as the first Test," he said, adding: "It has been a battle at the breakdown, you don't get any quick ball and we should have dealt with it better."
He said the lack of experience among certain members of the squad was an issue, but felt they will learn from the experience of playing abroad in a hostile environment.
"They know what it takes now, but this was still unacceptable.
"Mentally we have to be a lot tougher. The only way you get more experience and become mentally tough is by playing."
The Bok captain, De Villiers, also did not hide his disappointment.
"They were committed, but we can only blame ourselves for this result," the Bok skipper said.
"We had opportunities and we didn't capitalise on that once again.
"We need to take a hard look at ourselves before the game against Australia [in Perth on September 8] … that will be a different story."
De Villiers also suggested his team "got too involved with the niggly stuff" and at this level you can't do that.
"It [this result] does make it difficult and some hard work lies ahead for us."
