The puzzle of WC rugby...Scotland 45 Japan 10

Well that's enough to put collywobbles into the Boks but the reality must be something different...do sides have the ability to lift their game, not one notch but perhaps 2 or 3 or even 4 notches in rugby...does the psychological aspect play a bigger role than pundits give it...France losing twice to Argies and Tonga in 2007 and 2011 and we know the rest against the AB's but do some others have huge potential to breach the gaps...is overconfidence or underconfidence a huge ignored factor...does this make a huge difference???. Was Japanese skill a flash in the pan...I think not...they really played far beyond their run of the mill game and kudos to their coach...Whatever he did in tactics he was a brilliant psycholigist and motivator to put this belief into his sides belief...the essence of an outstanding coach!

I surmise it does...it is often mind over matter.

Normally the Boks playing Samoa and Scotland is a matter of formality but here we have a huge mountain in the mind to climb...this is why I enjoy the RWC...it is more than tactics, size and other stats that some have heart attacks discussing...more upsets make the game exciting...that's what I love about it.

 Lets see how well the Scots would back up after such an epic game ,in only 4 days mind you .

Brutal schedule. Only 3 days rest and they really seemed to lose their way after the yellow.
The element of surprise also gone for sure.

 There is a psychological issue here - but also a physical one.  The psychological issue can actually be impacted upon by the saying "The spirit is willing - but the flesh cannot cope".   Can the psyholickl factor on its own win games?   I think not - the physical body must contribute as well.
I believe what happened on Saturday was an exact replica of what happened in the Durban test against Argentina.  The players turned into "zombies" going through the motions.   Most of the players in both tests were on the wrong side of 30 and the question is - are they still physically strong enough to compete.   I think that may b a bigger problem than is always realized.   I think most of the older players are in a serious state of decline in performance.

Bollocks having only 4 days between matches .

 blobbok
I agree with you about that one - but every team has got one match in the tournament spaced four days apart - so it is a real problem what to do with those four days.   You can decide which team warrants to play top players and which team not so.   Take eg the Namibia match today - the AB's made wholesale changes to their team because of the weak opposition.
The fact that we lost against Japan bedevils our chances badly.  Our four day gap is between games against Scotland and the USA - and we cannot dare to rest any top players in the second match - because we may lose the match in that case.
However, Meyer has a problem now - some of our top players are on the bench, while we struggle along with some of last Saturdays zombies.  The oldies may last two weeks at best - then they go to sleep in the third match - like happened against Argentina in the RC.  
Anyway - bad news for the Springboks - that one.   

 
No puzzle ... no puzzle at all.

Japan came in and beat an old, tired and sick Goats team.

Scotland came in and spanked the Japanese ... showing the Goats how it's supposed to be done.

Simple.

Conclusion ... the Goats are useless and should hopefully exit the WC early . Well I hope so any way!!