Afrigather Rassie Erasmus has hinted that the Springboks’ one-point defeat towards Argentina is right down to extra than simply Libbok’s last-gasp missed penalty try.
Libbok got here on as a second half substitute for Handre Pollard and it was his well-executed contestable kicks that helped dragged the Springboks again into the sport after they went behind 26-17.
That mentioned, when he was afforded a possibility to grab a dramatic win within the closing minute — when Argentina was pinged for not rolling away — with a regulation penalty try proper in entrance.
However for all his genius tactical kicking on this recreation, the substitute flyhalf lined up that penalty and despatched it vast to go away the Springboks reeling.
It was a pricey mistake and one which has now earned him widespread criticism and mock on-line.
RASSIE ERASMUS DEFENDS MANIE LIBBOK
However Rassie Erasmus has refused to put the blame solely on Libbok by admitted the whole match-day squad contributed to the defeat with sub-par particular person performances throughout the board.
“Not only for us to win the sport, however for him personally, I used to be actually hoping that he kicked that kick,” Rassie mentioned. “He has been kicking effectively this complete week and kicked so effectively within the warm-up. He slotted every thing, however that’s strain.
“I don’t assume the sport ought to have come right down to the wire, with one man kicking it over. There have been a number of alternatives the place we misplaced the ball in lineouts, giving freely penalties of their 22.
“It was not an awesome show by us. Manie goes to get plenty of flak, everyone knows that. He should discover a approach to handle that. I’m positive we are going to all get plenty of flak for him lacking that kick.
“But it surely shouldn’t have been on the final kick for us to win. We must always have finished it a lot earlier,” Rassie concluded.
WHERE THE GAME WAS ACTUALLY LOST FOR THE SPRINGBOKS
Rassie Erasmus mentioned Argentina seized the momentum and ascendancy the second wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was yellow-carded for a excessive sort out.
“We did begin effectively. I’m all the time nervous after we begin so effectively. We are typically a group that counter-attacks from behind. We must always have put them away from that begin,” Rassie Erasmus defined additional.
“Sadly we received the yellow card. Argentina exploited that actually effectively. They received exterior our defence rather well. They scored two tries whereas Kurt-Lee was off. So I believe that was the momentum shift.
“There aren’t any excuses for the second half. We had been 15 males. It was a carefully battled recreation. We by no means noticed ourselves because the favourites, as a result of we left a couple of guys at dwelling,” Rassie revealed. “We wished a couple of guys to expertise enjoying in Argentina, however we desperately wished to win.
“Argentina deserved the win. They performed higher on the day than us. It’s good strain on us once more now. There’s rather a lot that we didn’t obtain right this moment.”
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