Firstly lets all remember the Bok’s are not really interested in winning the Tri-Nations (no matter what the players and coaches say). It’s all about the World Cup and nothing else this year.

This Tri-Nations is more about seeing what talent is available and trying to work out combinations and game play. That said, it's never nice to lose and giving a post mortem of Saturday’s game we pick up that there are areas of concern ahead of the show piece event.

We all agree there was more wrong then anything right in the Bok’s performance and more questions to ask then answers we have after Saturday. We're all asking what went wrong? To take the easy route I feel we can blame it on one of the following:

1)   Blame it on first test of the season?

2)   Blame it on it been a B team?

3)   Blame it on lack of concentration in first 10min of both halves(when 4 of their tries were scored)?

4)   Blame it on been just a bad day at the office?

We can blame it on one (or all) of the above but nobody will benefit from that.

An issue of concern, for me, is what tactics we want to use with the players available. We saw the Aussies change it up as they saw fit, which gave our defence a real headache.

Halfbacks are supposed to dictate how the team plays. Ruan was talked about prior to the game, to be the guy to give the team that 'go forward ball' but he was left horribly exposed, looks like he's forgotten what rugby in the Southern Hemishpere is all about, there isn't as much time as he's used to up North.

And what about Morne Steyn - we all know what type of game he plays and that was not what the Bok’s were trying to play. Lambie came on and we saw the team going forward but that was late on when the game was wrapped up and Aussie intensity lowered.

Articles / writers claiming that Steyn might not be first choice in the RWC Staring XV and playing for a place in the side are hard to believe for me. (I'd rather win the WC kicking penalties and drop goals rather than scoring five tries a game and getting KO in the semi’s?). That said, we know what Steyn can do let’s give him a rest and see if Lambie can cut it at this level.

 

Another area of concern for me, was us being bullied and out played at ruck time. We know these guys will not be our first or even second choice loosies (bar Rossouw) but coming up against McCaw and co this weekend I feel it's a problem that must be addressed.

Looking back, we can say what we like about B teams, the Aussies were just brilliant. They came ready to play from the first whistle and continued to do so till the end. I sense PdV will change it up for the coming weekend and I still believe this side is capable of causing an upset.

Just remember the Bok’s 2007 Tri-Nation’s results and take that as a positives looking ahead to the World Cup.