South Africa may have lost the battle of the heavyweights at Subiaco Oval in Perth on Saturday, but coach Rudolf Straeuli has several positives on which to draw after a much improved showing than their last meeting with England.
On that occasion South Africa were beaten 53-3 at Twickenham, but fast forward 11 months and the Springboks left Subiaco Oval with their heads held high after taking the game to England and having had chances to win the match.
“We were disappointed with the result,” Straeuli told rugbyworldcup.com. “We play a brand and style of rugby and after the match even some people like Syd Millar complemented the team and said how far we have gone from the last time he saw us at Twickenham.
“We have definitely improved and we know we can score tries and could have beaten them on the day and that is the thing. We have a lot of young players; very exciting players and we didn’t finish our chances.
An oval ball game
“The future is definitely bright [for South Africa], just look at our loose forwards and certain outside backs, there is definitely a bright future for them and in those who didn’t come in Gcobani Bobo and Jean de Villiers.”
South Africa and England have long been earmarked as the two teams to progress from Pool C, but Straeuli is not taking anything for granted, especially given the impressive form of another team in their Pool – Samoa.
“That is what is so great about rugby union, it is not a round ball, it bounces and England have also got to play Samoa, it is not just us,” said Straeuli, a member of the Springboks squad who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on home soil in 1995.
For many South Africa are now on a collision course with New Zealand in the quarter finals, but Straeuli is looking no further forward than their remaining Pool fixtures with Georgia and Samoa and taking it “week by week”.
Georgia deserve their place
However if this fixture does happen Straeuli happily admits you “have to beat the best to win the Tournament”, something that were South Africa to achieve he would make history as the first to lift the Cup as both a player and coach.
For now though Straeuli turns his attention to their meeting with Georgia at Sydney’s Aussie Stadium on Friday.
“It is one short week for us and we are getting into preparation [for the Georgia game],” said Straeuli. “Any team that is here, they all deserve to be here and we look to win [against Georgia].”