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ZIMBABWE’S Sables were sucked into the depressing post-mortem that followed the Springboks’ shock loss to Japan in a 2015 Rugby World Cup tie in England as South African sport mourned one of its darkest days.
The Sables might have failed to qualify for this World Cup, after narrowly losing the battle in Madagascar, but they were back in the headlines as South Africa counted its losses as the Rainbow Nation dealt with the embarrassment of a last-gasp defeat.
The Afrikaans’ Die Rapport newspaper described the defeat as “The darkest day in South African history.”
The newspaper questioned how it was possible that the two-time World Champions could sink so low as to lose against a Japanese side ranked number 13 in the world.
“South Africa lost against Japan. Not against the All Blacks. Not against the Wallabies. Not even against Argentina or Wales or England or Ireland. Against Japan,” thundered the newspaper.
“A country that 24 years ago last won a World Cup match (against Zimbabwe). A land that 20 years ago lost 17-145 against New Zealand.
“A land that last year still lost 21-61 against the New Zealand Maori (not the All Blacks). A land that is 13th on the world rankings.”
Gavin Rich, writing for SuperSport, said the defeat would go down as one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of the game.
“It will go down as one of the most famous results in any Rugby World Cup and, also, surely South African rugby’s most embarrassing moment in the history of the game,” Rich wrote.
“But, if the truth be told, the Boks were also an embarrassment in terms of their passive defence, the arrogance of a captain who early in the game eschewed kick-able penalties that would have made a difference to the result – as if he shouldn’t have learned his lesson already – and, last but not least, conceding a driving maul try to a pack that was diminutive by comparison.
“The Bok discipline was abysmal.”
Online Reporter