So what really happened against the ABs.

Firstly, we played an AB team with little to win.....bereft of key senior players Smith, Dagg, Barrett (for most of the game), Moody, Retallik and Franks.....after travelling across the oceans twice in 10 days. And this is a team that has also played a tough Lions series. .. We will never get a better shot at them....amplified by the ABs unusually blowing about 3 tries in the first half. They were very generous. ... STILL SOMETHING HAPPENED OUT THERE....WE PLAYED PROPER RUGBY. Gone was the silly phase play inside our 22. And we actually counterrucked and contested the ball on the ground, largely thanks to Marx. If we play that kind of rugby with commitment we can beat any team except NZ. .. TO BEAT NZ we need more.....some of the improved handling skills our forwards showed at times.....sure. But our backs have to create something. The only time that happened was when the much maligned Pollard took the ball hard to the line and offloaded. That's something our players understand and react to......but our centres are the key. Kriel's 11 metre in 9 carries, no defenders beaten is just not good enough. We need some potency at centre and some physicality on the wings. .. That's Less to ask for than hoping for a whole new team. Now can we accept reality or are we going to be confused again next Super season? I'm cautiously optimistic.

 Well played Boks ,thats more like the old foe !Congrats to the ABs ,these  sorts of games are ideal prep for the young blokes and build character .And fark that Garces arsehole ,the worst of French refs and thats saying something ! There is no way thats a red ,a yellow yes no probs but while my arsehole { I call it a beano hole ] points at the ground thats never a red .

 Good summary Mozart, I think we are all relieved that the Boks played a good game. SH rugby needs at least two competitive teams and the wobblies are wobbling lately so their not good enough.
Were's that bloke cc, is he still herding goats or something?

Well he had lots of company.

Yes Mozart, very few if any Bok fans on this site thought the Boks would win, not man y were predicting even a decent showing. But wee cc deserves special mention as he is one of the few who actively wants the Boks to lose.

 Why would you want your boys to lose ???? I would never ever countenance that its just too shameful,would give the game away before ever doing that .Hey Justy ,too true Bro about us Kiwis always giving the Boks the benefit of the doubt ,like for the Wombles I would never count them out till its all done and dusted and the fa t lady sings to get CC all excited about something at least.

 Well said Moz, would add that Kriel is a nothing player and should be replaced and that our out of hand kicking leaves a lot to be desired. To my eye Jantjies made one good kick. Replacements should be found for Dreyer, Leyds, Jantjies, Kriel and Skosan if we want to get serious about winning. Still, it was a wonderful effort by the Boks against a depleted AB side. For once we saw some composure and shape, specially so after the schoolboy Jantjies departed the field of play.

 Are your boys playing those pommy gits and the Irish moanermensch this year ? If so I expect your lads to give them one nice smacking please seeing as how the poms and leprachauns have contrived to make themselves look better by hiding from our boys.

 Ha ha, yes it would be good to see the Boks beat the Poms and the Irish (although I don't mind the Irish so much). It certainly would help this forum, sometimes the Bok supporters morale is so low it's like a morgue. Then of course there are those who retreat to chase wee tennis balls

WD Turncoat's logic is that any victory or in this case good performance merely delays the real solution ie appointing a new coaching team and wiping out the quota system. I think in his own way he believes this sincerely.

 Indeed Moz but anyone who does this against their own team just because he doesnt like selections or coaches is a traitor.JW I didnt mind the Irish and wished them well after their once in 11 years win but now their players and fans heads have fattened to English proportions like those puffballs when we wuz kids and need deflating .The fans especially seemed to develop this sense of unearned entitlement so as far as I am concerned I hope they get cut down to leprachaun size.  

 Wardad, I think CC broke his tablet after that close loss. I suspect he is still a closet Bok supporter and his public dissent is only a smoke scree.Funny, I had no hope for us losing by less than 20, but as I saw our boys singing the anthem, I started believing we could see something special....and special indeed, but we really should have won this one. Damn! We won't get such a good opportunity soon again.

I'm proud of how the players bounced back. Showed some great character to start playing rugby we know these players can. One of the more popular quotes by on of the panelist were "the forward decide who wins and backs by how much. But I think our backs lost it for us.

Many matches are decided by the centres.....that’s a problem for us.