Coetze's mistake

The trauma against Italy exposed one mistake: Coetze did not select enough non white players to start against Italy and shield SA rugby from blame and assessment of its level.

SA rugby is far from being a contender for NZ rugby. Nothing impressively unexpected as it is the case for  many other rugbys.

The game against Italy  revealed that SA rugby is poorer than expected as SA players were unable to perform in a kind of rugby  SA is supposed to be the supreme reference.

Italy rugby wont win tournaments: it is rudimentary and too demanding physically to be sustained week in week out.
Italian players are able in it and abler than SA players.

Apart from the pitiful condition of the pitch (that prevented scrums from taking place), Coetze made the mistake of leaving no room for excuses.
No excuse of a high tempo game as the game played slow.
No excuse of a failed game plan as SA players are supposed to be drilled and efficient in this play style.
Italy won because the Italian players are stronger, they won the contest of strength, they were the ones who rammed through the defensive line, they were the ones who pushed back by meters offensive movements, they were the ones who tackled harshly.

That is the lesson -unexpected- of the game. Italian players are mightier than SA players.

yawn