Ireland got 'beaten up' by irrepressible Boks
Ireland now have the unenviable task of mentally and physically recovering from a battering at the hands of a revitalised Springbok team at Ellis Park this past Saturday.
Heading into the decisive third Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth this coming Saturday, the Boks will have all the momentum and belief – after twice coming back from being 16 points down, 3-19 at the half-time break and 10-26 going into the final quarter.
Ireland captain Rory Best admitted his team physically got "beaten up" by the Boks, while coach Joe Schmidt said he will need about 48 hours to assess the damage done by an "irrepressible" Bok outfit.
The Irish coach admitted in the last 20 minutes South Africa delivered an onslaught that the visitors didn't quite live up to.
He added that it is a result "well and truly earned by the South African ball carriers".
Best said the loss is "very tough" to take, but that they will come back stringer.
"While bitterly disappointing, it is one-all and we are going to Port Elizabeth with a chance to win a Test series over here [in South Africa," the Irish captain said.
"We have to take this loss on the chin.
"Sometimes you have to let these defeats dwell in you a bit and then come out the other side stronger.
"We have to make sure that if we get ourselves in the same position next week, that we don't make the same errors.
"We will hurt for a bit, dust ourselves down and take a big stride forward."
The coach, Schmidt, said it take about 48 hours to assess the real damage done to his team – physically and mentally.
"There's certainly plenty of fatigue there," he said of his battered team, adding: "Robbie Henshaw copped a knock in the knee and it is a little bit inflamed. A few other guys were getting cramps."
He admitted that in the last 20 minutes the Boks delivered an onslaught that the Irish didn't quite live up to.
They slipped tackles and he claimed some tackles they we were unable to make because of questionable Springbok tactics.
"We will have a second look those [tactics]," Schmidt said, adding: "We can send a report through [to the refereeing bosses], but that won't change the result and it is a result well and truly earned by the South African ball carriers.
"They really did take it to us and we weren't quite up to the task."
He admitted the toughest part is dealing with how they twice gave up a 16-popint lead – 19-3 at half-time and 26-10 inside the last quarter.
"The way South Africa came back, they were relatively irrepressible," Schmidt said.
He added that whenever a team gets the win and the result, it is always easier to bounce back.
"Even if it was a physically tiring match, it is easier to come back when you win. It will take us a couple of days to get over the mental anguish of surrendering the lead we had, as well as being fit enough to train and build for next week's Test.
"We knew we couldn't sit on the lead against a team that has the weaponry that South Africa have. That weaponry was in full evidence in that last quarter."
He said from the coach's box it looked like Ireland were tiring.
Best they knew, before the tour started, that if they physically get beaten up by South Africa around the fringes they would be on the back foot.
However, he dismissed the notion that altitude was a factor.
"Whether it was [just] mentally, we switched off a little bit and started to slip tackles ."
By Jan de Koning, in Johannesburg
@King365ed
@rugby365com
