Back at the start of the month, South Africa’s head coach, Allister Coetzee, was asked about the “aura” of his side. The Springboks had lost five of the nine games they had played since the last World Cup, going down to Ireland in Cape Town, Argentina in Salta, Australia in Brisbane, and New Zealand in both Christchurch and Durban, the last of those a 42-point thrashing, the worst defeat they had ever suffered at home. “The Springboks will never lose their aura,” Coetzee said, “definitely not.” Coetzee, who spent 22 years playing the game and another 20 coaching it, takes the long view. Just look at England over the last 12 months, he said. The wheel will always keep turning.
South Africa’s latest defeat, 37-21 to England at Twickenham, means they have lost five of their last six. Asked how he felt about that aura now, Coetzee picked out one thing that he felt gave him some hope. “When the Springboks give up, that’s when they will have lost their aura,” he said. He admired the way they rallied from 30-9 down in the final quarter, through tries by Johan Goosen and Willie le Roux. “When the team doesn’t give up, when they keep fighting, I draw comfort from that.” It all sounded a little hollow.
Related: England v South Africa: five things we learned from the autumn international | Paul Rees
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