Disaster.......outplayed by the Bargies

15 Johan Goosen
Looked good when he joined the line as he found some space and made some crucial tackles.
5/10

14 Ruan Combrinck
No real chances to run the ball but came good against his bigger counterpart on defence.
5/10

13 Lionel Mapoe
Another quiet game in attack as he saw very little ball while his defence work rate needs to be increased.
4/10

12 Damian de Allende
The 'head down and run straight' worked a bit but he remains a one-dimensional player.
3/10

11 Bryan Habana
It took him some time to get into the game and showed glimpses of his former self on attack.
4/10

10 Elton Jantjies
The time has come for him to be moved to the bench after another below average game.
3/10

9 Francois de Klerk
A bit of a mixed bag as some good moments were erased by some sloppy play and poor decision making.
4/10

8 Warren Whiteley
Another tireless performance on defence as he ensured a clean record.
6/10

7 Teboho Mohoje
Just when we thought he was back to his best, he took a few steps back.
3/10

6 Francois Louw
Despite a second half improvement, questions still remain about his inclusion in the team.
4/10

5 Lodewyk de Jager
Got stuck into his opposition as he looked to dominate them physically.
6/10

4 Eben Etzebeth
He set the tone defensively in the opening exchanges but offered little else in other departments.
4/10

3 Vincent Koch
While he was decent at scrum time, he leaked way too many penalties on defence - including coming off his line which led to Tuculet's try.
3/10

2 Adriaan Strauss (captain)
In no way is he a leader as he once again hid when the chips were down.
1/10

1 Tendai Mtawarira
Had he not been involved in the scrums, you would not have noticed him on the field.
2/10

Replacements:

16 Bongi Mbonambi
Not used.

17 Steven Kitshoff (on for Mtawarira, 46th min)
Made an immediate impact at scrum time and got stuck into some Argentinian players on defence.
6/10

18 Lourens Adriaanse (on for Kock, 46th min)
Helped to stabilise the scrums but offered little elsewhere.
4/10

19 Pieter-Steph du Toit (on for de Jager, 46th min)
Imposed himself physically when he got on and showed real strength to get over for a try.
6/10

20 Jaco Kriel (on for Louw, 55th min)
Another massive impact off the bench and surely has to start ahead of Louw.
7/10

21 Rudy Paige (on for de Klerk, 74th min)
Not enough to be rated...again

22 Morne Steyn (on for Jantjies, 4th min)
Brought a different dimension to the game but his decision making left much to be desired.
4/10

23 Jesse Kriel (on for Combrinck, 33rd min)
A mixed bag on defence but looked dangerous with ball-in-hand.
5/10

Which gives us an average rating of 3.5

The following extract from Mozart is a classic:-

“This was always on the cards when our 10 year dynasty ended. But those howling for its termination shouldn't complain....they got what they asked for. This is BiltongBek's, Dave's, and Mike's brave new world....a team chosen from lists. Enjoy!”

The team as well as the coaching is a joke and that is a fact – but to make the above statement is as ridiculous a statement I have ever seen on this site.   This new team is doing better than Mozart’s  old favourites did in 2014 and 2015.   The Irish in 2014 wiped the floor with the Springboks and so did  Argentina in the Durban test last year.   On top of that we had  the  Japanese disaster to consider as well.

So the team problem identification is weird – but the test yesterday confirmed what I identified as the poor links in the set-up and those weak links are mostly the players of the past – ie the older players in the team.   Those included –

     Morne Steyn, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarire and Adriaan Strauss.

Of the newer players the following were disasters as well:-

     Jantjies, Mapoe and Mohoje

Most of the other players can do better and I would have chosen a different team altogether.  

15 Jesse  Kriel, 14 Combrink, 13 De Allende, 12 Van Rensburg, 11 Habana, 10 Goosen, 9 De Klerk, 8 Whiteley, 7 Labuschagne, 6 Kriel, 5 Du Toit, 4 Etzebeth, 3 Koch, 2 Marx, 1 Kitshof

Coetzee and his coaching team is slightly poorer than was the one of the poor Meyer and his  goats.  Both tries to instil the same rubbish rugby – but with equally poor results.     

• As it happened: Argentina 26 Springboks 24
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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Cape Town – Allister Coetzee needs to act swiftly and decisively to revive his now-tottering Springboks, victims of a first ever away defeat to Argentina in Salta on Saturday.

They were justly beaten 26-24 by a Pumas side unfortunate to have come off second-best in the opening Castle Rugby Championship clash last weekend, so this latest setback only amplified the sense of fragility around once-proud Bok rugby at present.

On a day when his starting line-up produced a first-half horror show, one ray of light was the zest he got in several cases off the bench, which he raided quite liberally early in the second period.

By the Sport24 performance sheet, flame-haired bench front-ranker Steven Kitshoff, now of Bordeaux, eclipsed all other Boks to top honours, even if he was only ousting a pretty humdrum bunch of colleagues …

Here’s how I rated the Boks out of 10 at Salta:

Johan Goosen: 5.5

Mixed bag last Saturday, mixed bag again. Handling let him down once or twice. Perhaps warrants further chances to settle at No 15; did punch one or two holes. Great heart, late on, to make vital track-back tackle soon after receiving painful blow.

Ruan Combrinck: 4

Looked badly impeded by a knock from early on; really ought to have come off well before 32nd minute.

Lionel Mapoe: 5

Sneaks a 50 percent tally primarily due to one determined, try-saving tackle over the line on Manuel Montero, the lanky Pumas left wing. Otherwise, simply couldn’t impose himself … again. Penalised once for not rolling away.

Damian de Allende: 4.5

Saved from lower rating by a few demonstrations of powerful leg strength -- one nearly led to own try, but he frustratingly lost control of ball inches from line. Creative game still way below last year’s levels, and had shoddy moments in the tackle.

Bryan Habana: 5.5

Among seniors who tried valiantly to light a fire in second half; some determined surges, and tidy finish for 45th-minute try. Alert on cover defence too.

Elton Jantjies: 4  

Still having terrible troubling merging his Lions instincts with Bok template (whatever it’s meant to be). Again too jittery, error-prone and imprecise, including costly, erratic place-kicking. Some early mettle on defence.

Faf de Klerk: 5

Albeit presumably to plan, frittered away some ball with often fruitless box-kicks. Far less of a menace to Pumas than last week, and still not an ideal “controller” at No 9. Made one really daft decision at advanced stage to take quick tap when situation cried out for simple shot at posts; luckily Boks retained their penalty.  

Warren Whiteley: 5.5

Got around the park, and did some useful cleaning-up when others around him were lax on defence. Involved in occasional ball-in-hand offensives. Still to produce a real Test-level cracker, though …

Oupa Mohoje: 5.5

Not as prominent as at Mbombela, but still one of the better Bok pack members. Got through tons of rugged tackling work, even if some were high and fortunate to escape censure. Lineout skills again evident.

Francois Louw: 4.5

Hard to see him surviving in XV to play Australia in fortnight. Another sub-standard outing as fetcher, including wretched first half when Bok breakdown work was broadly pitiful. In fairness, thunderous few minutes after break, including brilliant little back-flip to tee up Habana try … but then yanked off.

Lood de Jager: 5.5

Reasonable, though on Saturday’s showing (curtailed to 44 minutes before substitution), Pieter-Steph du Toit may well reclaim hotly-contested No 5 jersey.

Eben Etzebeth: 6

One regular who did put in an honest shift. Lineout banker, and made two critical defensive interventions, including pushing a flying Matias Orlando into touch when try otherwise beckoned. Striking stamina levels.

Vincent Koch: 4.5

Failed to build on last week’s promise. One or two sturdy enough scrums, but lacked the explosive power seen in Nelspruit, and shown up on defence.

Adriaan Strauss: 4

Captaincy under raging scrutiny now. It would so help his cause if own playing levels were suitably decent. Frankly, they just aren’t this year. Outdone by Agustin Creevy for pure mongrel, and poor at breakdowns where he should be a key helper to the cause.

Tendai Mtawarira: 4

Sorry, but the likeable “Beast” – even on the occasion of equalling Os du Randt for most prop caps – gave another comfort-zone performance, something that has become too habitual. Anonymous outside set-piece. Shakeup needed at No 1 … now see below.

Standout substitute:

Steven Kitshoff: 7   

Du Toit and Jaco Kriel also provided tangible, fresh gusto in the second half, but barrelling loosehead prop Kitshoff made enough impact both at scrum-time and in general play over some 36 minutes to bag top marks overall on a bleak day for the Boks. Did miss one tackle badly.

Considering the political alternatives Coetzee had the best credentials of those with a chance. This posting isn't so much a consideration of what is possible....but what should be possible.