The performance of the Boks on Saturday confirms that this team is exactly a B team. An A team would never have surrendered a 17 point lead at this level. If this team was worth their jersey, if they were of the quality that Jake White is singing about…  it would have been game over with a 17 point head start.

There is a lot of positive remarks coming out of our newspapers about Saturdays performance, even my Dad phoned me impressed that our B team “only went down by 8 points” to Australia. Even Jake White is singing this tune.

I say it is absolute bullshit. This was a defeat, end of story. An 8 point defeat, a 1 point defeat, a 50 point defeat…it is still a defeat ladies and gentleman, and I have to ask where are we going as a rugby nation, when we celebrate a Bok team in defeat.

Analysing Saturdays performance more carefully, the Boks tactics and inability to vary their game was mind bogling. They showed no faith in their backline, refusing to release ball to the backs that should have been theirs. They over played the maul forward tactic and after having gained meters, when the time came to give the ball some air, they again ad nauseam tried to rumble forward until they lost possession. From the half way line, it is a long rumble to the tryline. There are quicker routes such as a midfielder or winger getting it their for you.

I think the coach had no belief in the attacking capabilities of his B team backline

The kicking tactics which were firstly effective ended up playing into the Ozzie hands later when they became more and more aimless as the game drew on. Ruan Pienaar here was a big culprit

The players that stood out for me was Wickus van Heerden. He was enormous on Saturday and a back row of Spies, Burger and Wickus looks to me, our most formidable loose trio.

Other players that didn't look B class were Gary Botha and Breyton Paulse

The question has to be asked whether JP Pietserson can make the step up into international rugby and by Saturdays standards, he was dismal. Derrick Hougard and Wynand Olivier were no where on Saturday. Hougard is another player who is a terrific provincial and Super 14 player who just can not make the step up into test rugby. Although I would not yet write him off. Against the Kiwi’s come Saturday, I would definitely start with Peter Grant as he can get something out of his miele meal backs.

We will never know what the result on Saturday would have been had we bought our front line players, but I have to say a rare opportunity to beat the Wallabies and All Blacks away from home has been lost. This was one year I believed we had an excellent chance of achieving victories in either Oz or NZ or even both.

The momentum South African rugby gained over the Ozzies and New Zealander in the Super 14 has been handed back to our rivals. The self belief our players gained in the Super 14 that they can indeed win in Australia and New Zealand would have come through on this  tour and that belief would have been taken into the world cup.

Our Super 14 coaches delivered good, solid momentum for Bok rugby. Even the Kiwi fernsters were bemoaning that their coach had given South Africa vital momentum. Jake White gave it back.

I am not one those fans that is obsessed with the world cup. For me the world cup is not the be all and end all of rugby. Sure…I would love us to win it like the next guy, but not at the following costs…defeat last year to Ireland, defeat last year to a crap English team…defeat in Sydney to the Ozzies, and most certain defeat come Saturday to the Blacks.

Lastly what does Jake White and the world cup do for our domestic rugby. The Currie Cup is our breeding ground of Springboks. With 20 rested front line Boks out of action, a further 30 or so (not sure of the exact number) away on Tri Nations duty, we have a Currie Cup missing 50 of our top players. Our own premier domestic, Springbok producing competition is reduced to a watered down compo.

Half the names on the team sheets last week, I didn't even recognize…never heard of many of these guys playing in our premier provinces. For the first time on Saturday I found more important things to do at home than switch on the telly and watch the Lions and Bulls. That was not a protest. That was simply as a result of a lack of interest. Only found out the results the next day.

Are their any other Saffa’s who are not concerned about the price we pay for world cup planning domestically and the shambles we create internationally. Is the world cup worth the dilution of not only our Currie Cup but the Trinations, EOYT etc and the divisions it has sown between ourselves and our SANZAR partners.

Definitely a B team on Saturday under the guidance of B grade management.