Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and captain Siya Kolisi remained confident that the Boks could still win Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2023 after Saturday's 13-8 Pool B loss to Ireland.
The Springboks have used up all their lives now. They are into knockout mode after losing in a brilliant and brutal contest against Ireland at a heaving Stade de France on Saturday.
But they remain alive and just about have their destiny under control if they secure a bonus point win over Tonga in their final pool match. That is the good news.
The bad news is that they wasted chances against Ireland and the same old problems in the red zone cropped up. Lack of finishing, be it off the kicking tee where four shots at goal were missed, or failing to convert pressure inside Ireland's 22-metre area into points.
Of course, analysis will reveal these mistakes as if they happened in a vacuum. But they did not. Both sides made errors because the intensity of the contest, the quality of play for the most part and the incredible courage from both sets of players to commit their bodies to pain, cannot be overstated.
It was by some distance the match of the tournament, and it wouldn't be a complete stretch to say it was one of the greatest Tests of all time. This is what top-level Test rugby...
