The South African first five Patrick Lambie says his side's shock loss to Japan in their opening match of the Rugby World Cup has a silver lining.
The Springboks Patrick Lambie in action. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Japan's 34-32 last minute win over the Springboks on Sunday was hailed by rugby pundits as the biggest shock in the tournament's history.
But 24-year-old Lambie has been philososphical about the loss.
"Certainly since I've been with the Springboks, it's brought the best out of the group when we have our backs against the wall," Lambie told a media conference.
"All our focus is completely on Saturday against Samoa and we really want to make things right. We don't really have a choice now but to dig deep and find something special."
The 24-year-old also acknowledged that the Boks' next Pool B encounter couldn't come quick enough.
"All the players have been looking forward to getting our team review over and done with, getting out onto the training field and moving on. We are really looking forward to making this right. We have all been hurting, more than ever before."
Lambie, who has already won 45 caps, said he and his Springbok teammates were not surprised by the ferocity of Japan's play in Brighton, which set up the 34-32 win that is widely considered the biggest shock in the tournament's history.
"We knew they would be up for it. We knew it would be a very fast game, that they were going to play above themselves. Even at halftime the talk was good, everyone was calm, there weren't any wide eyes."
- Reuters