THE FINAL WHISTLE
MARK KEOHANE: Dear Springbok fans, no, 2017 is not going to be any better
Logic would say that the pain of 2016 ended for Springbok supporters when the final whistle sounded on statistically the worst year of South African rugby. Allister Coetzee’s Boks won four from 12 Tests and drew against the Barbarians in a noninternational match. It’s not an opinion that Coetzee’s Boks are the worst-performing in the history of the Springboks; it’s a fact. No other Bok team has lost eight Tests in a calendar season. Coetzee’s Boks did this. They also became the second team in the history of the Springboks to be winless on an end-of-year tour to the northern hemisphere. They are the first Bok team to lose to Italy and to lose at home to Ireland. They also broke the record for most points conceded against the All Blacks in Durban (57) and points differential (42). They conceded 15 tries in two Tests against the All Blacks in 2016 and 98 points. They are also the first team not to win a game overseas in the Rugby Championship and they are also the first Bok team to los...
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