Jesse Kriel says the Springboks will do the work required to correct their errors after going down 33-16 to the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday night, with the second match of the Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Series at DHL Stadium in Cape Town next Saturday already in their sights.
Kriel, who earned his 91st Test cap and shifted to wing during the match following a series of positional changes forced on the coaching staff, identified clinical execution as the primary area needing improvement.
"In Test match rugby, if you don't convert and take your opportunities and other teams do, the scoreboard is normally not in your favour," Kriel said. "The All Blacks were when they got their chances, and at the highest level between the two best teams in the world, that's what happens."
His assessment echoed Rassie Erasmus' post-match view that the margins at this level leave no room for wastefulness. "There are very small margins for error in a Test match of this magnitude," Kriel added. "We'll have to be better there."
On the positional disruptions during the game, Kriel acknowledged the team's adaptability while conceding accuracy was lacking. "It doesn't normally happen a lot, but when it does, I think we reacted pretty well. I just don't think we were as accurate as we wanted to be on the night, and New Zealand put us under a lot of pressure."
The squad takes Sunday off before returning to training on Monday. They remain in Johannesburg until Wednesday, travel to Cape Town on Thursday, and will then return to Johannesburg for the third match at FNB Stadium before heading to Baltimore for the series finale.