You just know, as the All Blacks ran home their eighth and ninth tries in the dying moments of Saturday’s humiliation, that there were some fans who cheered.

Not because they want the Boks to lose, but rather because sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to start an earnest examination of what’s gone wrong.

In the wake of that humbling defeat we’ve heard about the awful stats breakdown (HERE), and we’ve heard the stinging rebuke from Nick Mallett (HERE).

Now, in what can only be described as a serious attack from a current player, Duane Vermeulen has had his say. BD Live below – settle in, he has a proper rant:

“I want to be part of the Boks but the way things are going now I can’t see a positive outcome‚” Vermeulen told Business Day from France.

“I feel it’s always the coaches that have their say in a team environment and as a player there is no time to focus and to talk about issues in SA Rugby. We tend to only focus on the game itself.

“I feel the need to speak up as a player‚ for the players. I still want to play and represent the Boks with all I have.

“But at the moment, I can’t see why players would commit 100%. That’s a huge problem. Where did everything go wrong?” he said.

“It was ugly watching the game on Saturday.

“We [SA] were a powerhouse in world rugby and I feel it is my duty to also make a stand and say something on the record about the situation. I don’t know how much respect there is for players anymore. I feel for them and it’s partially our fault because we stay silent. But it also starts at the top and we need clear and decisive leadership”…

“I believe that this coaching indaba is the best thing we can do right now‚” Vermeulen said.

“But I know from experience that the arrogance of some coaches in SA might be a problem because I don’t believe they will share all they have.

“At this meeting, everyone must say what they want to say‚ but in the end, we have to reach a common goal about how we as South Africans want to play the game. Hopefully, from this, we will find a style that South Africans will play from junior levels all the way through to the Springboks,” he said.

“Every detail from set pieces‚ attack and defence must be defined and set out in a plan, and everyone must play the same. In that way, we will improve our skills and ability.

“By doing that we will improve our coaching structures and give coaches a pathway to higher honours as well.

“It also helps develop coaches in SA, so we don’t have to look overseas. If the coaches don’t adhere to the agreement and principles that are set out then they should either be fined or sacked. That should be the message from SA Rugby.

“It all starts at the top. And that is chaos at the moment. By the top‚ I also mean the sports ministry. The sports minister has to help SA Rugby work towards a better plan for the future of the Boks. We always hear the minister is there to support us‚ but I want to see him as part of the solution.”

Some critics might say that since he jumped ship and plays in France he doesn’t deserve a say, but they’d be the ones who know little to nothing about the kind of money on offer when playing for a club like Toulon.

Next up is another Bok loose forward, World Cup winner Juan Smith. He isn’t too fond of our backline in particular, with this from SA Rugby Mag:

‘To be honest, our set pieces were not bad this year. The big problem is our backline. Our backline looks like a school team’s backline,’ he [said].

‘They don’t run good lines and nobody breaks the line. Our backs don’t keep opposition defenders guessing. It just looks as if there is no plan in place.’

Smith intimated that there was also a lack of balance to the Bok loose trio, which included Francois Louw, Oupa Mohoje and Warren Whiteley.

He’s got a point – can you ever remember a Bok backline with so little flair and creativity?

If you want to find stinging attacks from the international press you don’t have to look too far, but a chap called Owen Slot has gone all out in his piece titled ‘Springboks are spiralling out of control’ for the Times:

South Africa’s record defeat by the All Blacks on Saturday was not a blip. Neither was it a case of a good team at the bottom of a cycle who will soon come strong again. It was not a short-term problem. It was the starkest sign that one of the sport’s global superpowers are capitulating. South Africa are in danger of becoming the West Indies of world rugby.

That should send shudders down the spine, because there are few teams that have fallen further from grace than the Windies cricket team these past 20 years.

More Owen, really sticking in the boot:

Unless something happens, though, South Africa is stuck in the spiral. It is not just South Africa that want a better Springbok team. The entire game is weaker with a wounded Springbok. Just as cricket is all the poorer for the long lost superpower of West Indies.

Imagine a world where a Springbok – All Black encounter doesn’t see rugby fans around the globe chomping at the bit? Sad, but those days might be closer than we like to think.

Some serious soul searching is needed, and whether or not our administrators front up to an increasingly desperate situation remains to be seen.

In the mean time all we can do is wait and hope and remember the good old days. Here you go, let’s talk 2007.

[sources:bdlive&sarugbymag&times]