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Smit unhappy with own form

Springboks captain and hooker John Smit confessed that he had been struggling all week with his lineout throwing before the opening Tri Nations Test loss to the All Blacks and he had carried that into the game.

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Sportal.co.nz

Springboks captain and hooker John Smit confessed that he had been struggling all week with his lineout throwing before the opening Tri Nations Test loss to the All Blacks and he had carried that into the game.

The lights were not on for the Springboks in the 12-32 loss which extended the record of South Africa not having won at the ground since 1937.

"The All Blacks were really good. They had pace all over the field and they outplayed us everywhere. Our lights were out.

"We've got a lot to work on over the next week and we can't get any worse.

"Our lineout has been good for a long time but I have to take it on the chin. I was poor all week in the lineouts and carried that into the game," he said.

Smit added that when South Africa turned the 3-20 halftime deficit around and reached 12-20 through penalty goals, he felt the chance was there for the Springboks to get into the game. But the South Africans couldn't apply sufficient pressure and the All Blacks had kept them contained in their own half of the field.

His team had been 'non-existent' at the breakdown, he said.

"We didn't really give them much of a contest. Our minds weren't in the right place. We expected them to come out hard after last year but many of the things we did were completely out of character tonight. They wanted it more, they were more urgent and got what they deserved tonight," he said of the home team.

Coach Peter de Villiers said it mustn't be forgotten that the All Blacks created their own luck in the game and well done to them for that.

"There is no panic at the moment. There is nothing you can't fix. I'm looking forward to the week [ahead of the second Test]. We played too much rugby in our own half," he said.

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