Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber obtained the solutions he was in search of – in addition to the heartache of a late defeat by Wales – as his group slipped to a 13-12 defeat in Bloemfontein in the second match of their three-Test sequence on Saturday.
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The end result means the sequence is tied at 1-1, following final week’s 32-29 Springbok victory at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The deciding Test takes place at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 16 July.
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A sold-out, 46 000-strong crowd saw the Boks let slip a nine-point lead in the final quarter with Wales’ match-winning try by Josh Adams, and nerveless touchline conversion by Gareth Anscombe, coming in the 78th minute.
Jacques Nienaber gave six gamers Test debuts in a group that confirmed 14 adjustments from the beginning line-up that had overwhelmed Wales the weekend earlier than, with solely lock Eben Etzebeth beginning each Tests.
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“We said from the start that we had a plan for 42 players.” stated Nienaber.
“If we had gone the conservative route and caught with the similar group – and let’s say we didn’t win the take a look at match tonight – then we’d most likely have by no means given the different guys a possibility.
“There was risk, but the answers you get out of it outweigh the risk.”
Captain Handre Pollard scored each Springbok level
All the Springboks’ factors got here from the boot of Handre Pollard – who kicked 4 penalty targets from six makes an attempt – however they have been unable to transform lengthy durations of territorial dominance into factors.
“I thought the intensity was there and we had a couple of opportunities in the first half when execution cost us,” stated Jacques Nienaber.
“And then the discipline in the second half cost us. They brought intensity – which is what we asked of them – could the execution be better? Without a doubt.
“We had guys playing their first Test match; guys in-form in different competitions all over the world but Test matches are different and small margins cost you games.
“It’s good for the players to understand what a Test match intensity is like what your accuracy levels have to be. The players would have learned a lot from that.”
Jacques Nienaber stated the defeat had harm the group: “We play for one thing a lot greater than only a take a look at match end result.”
“We’re playing for our fans and for South Africa and the whole team feels that we let this phenomenal crowd down tonight by not getting a victory.
“I’ve said all along that Wales were coming here not to compete, they were coming here to win a series. We came here tonight to try and win the series. We couldn’t but we got some answers.
“Going into the last game it’s going to be a final.”
SCORERS:
South Africa
Penalties: Handre Pollard (4)
Wales
Try: Josh Adams
Conversion: Gareth Anscombe
Penalties: Dan Biggar, Anscombe
TEAMS:
South Africa
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handre Pollard (captain), 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Thomas du Toit
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Rynhardt Elstadt, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse
Wales
15 Liam Williams, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 George North, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Alex Cuthbert, 10 Dan Biggar (captain), 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Adam Beard, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Gareth Thomas
Substitutes: 16 Dewi Lake, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Josh Navidi, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Josh Adams
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