Boks blame cold for Croker demise

SOUTH AFRICAN rugby stars have been blaming the cold for their demise at the hands of Ireland – and the Irish players’ command of Afrikaans.

Gert Smal, Ireland’s South African-born forwards coach, was widely credited with Ireland’s demolition of the Springbok lineout.

“After the first two lineouts, I realised Gert must have taught the Irish guys some Afrikaans,” said Victor Matfield. “They were counting with us before the ball was thrown in. He knows our calls so well.

“We changed things at half-time and while it improved a bit in the second half, it wasn’t a good day for us. In fact, it’s the worst lineout display I’ve ever experienced. We contested well enough, but our own ball was a shocker.”

Centre Jean de Villiers, now playing for Munster, said there was little to choose between the sides: “It’s disappointing to lose like that, but it’s been a long year and I think the guys were a bit flat.

“There was not much in that game... a couple of penalties went against us, but they didn’t score a try and had we made the most of our penalties it would have been different.”

Tighthead prop BJ Botha added: “Our plan was to disrupt them and dominate them in the scrums and we did that. But this is a defeat we simply have to take on the chin.

“One must remember the Boks faced up to a very good Ireland side at the end of the season and they threw everything at us. Ireland were at their best and in the end there were just five points in it. We left a lot of points out there on the field so it could have been a completely different story.”

“There was one metre in it at the end,” said Matfield. “Had we managed to score a converted try in the last minute, it would have been an awesome game. That’s how close it was.”

The big second row also blamed the cold

“It’s right up there with the coldest I’ve ever been on a rugby field,” said Matfield.

“It compares only with what I experienced at Twickenham in 2004 and Dunedin in 2005.”

Jean de Villiers also said it was the coldest day he’d experienced in Ireland: “The days leading up to the game were okay, but Saturday was very, very cold.”

The icy temperature was unlike anything full-back Zane Kirchner had experienced: “It was something like minus two on the field. I’ve never been so cold in my life. While rugby looks easy on TV, it’s not easy on the field when it’s like that.”