Head coach Steve Tandy admitted Wales were no match for the power and precision of the Springboks in a “pretty one-sided” contest at Kings Park.
A “bitterly disappointed” Tandy addressed the media after Wales’ 43-0 defeat to the Springboks in Durban on Saturday, but praised his players for continuing to fight against the world champions.
South Africa ran in seven unanswered tries in the Nations Championship rout, although the visitors stayed in the contest for long periods before the hosts pulled away after half-time.
RECAP: Seven-try Boks blank Wales again
“Bitterly disappointed with the scoreline,” Tandy said. “I commend the team for their effort, they stayed in the fight for large parts of the game. Probably a couple of moments right before half-time and straight after half-time that actually blows it out a bit more.
“We probably could have been a little bit more accurate when we did get the one or two opportunities just over the half-hour mark.
“There’s massive pride in our players with how hard they work and the effort they put in against the world champions.”
Tandy conceded Wales battled for possession and territory, while South Africa’s strength and defensive pressure made life difficult throughout.
“It was pretty one-sided when it came to us defending and getting the ball,” he said. “The one or two moments we did get an opportunity weren’t accurate enough… South Africa is physical at the breakdown.
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“They’re a well-oiled defensive unit as well. So, there’s lots of things that we have to get better at and grow our game.”
He also highlighted the Boks’ scrum dominance and tactical kicking.
“We stopped a bit of their set-piece, but they built pressure at the set-piece; the scrum, you can’t run away from it.
“They squeeze you in and it’s probably hard to get some attacking momentum when those kicks are so accurate.
“Look, they’re absolutely a well-oiled machine with a huge depth.”
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Despite failing to score, Tandy dismissed concerns over Wales’ attack: “No, I don’t think it’s a concern… You come up against the best team, probably one of the most physical in the world.
“These are the experiences we have to go through unfortunately, but it’s something that we need to learn and grow from.”
Wales now head into a three-month international break before regrouping to face Japan on 7 November in Cardiff, and Tandy expects his team to use the Bok defeat as another step in their development.
“When you reflect on the year, we’ve had some really good moments and there’ve been some young players coming through. We’ve had some combinations. There’s lots of learning; we’ll recover, reflect and get ready to go come the autumn.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post Tandy: Wales squeezed by well-oiled machine appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Head coach Steve Tandy admitted Wales were no match for the power and precision of the Springboks in a “pretty one-sided” contest at Kings Park.
The post Tandy: Wales squeezed by well-oiled machine appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
