Rugby World Cup: Samoans cop full force of Bok backlash

JP Pietersen scores the Springboks second try during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Samoa at Villa Park. Photo / Getty Images

South Africa 46
Samoa 6

In hindsight, there wasn't much Samoa could have done differently to stop the South African machine cranking into fifth gear at Villa Park.

The unavoidable truth is that having been humiliated by Japan, the Springboks were always going to respond with a huge and angry performance. Samoa were the unlucky ones who just happened to be next up and they were hit by the full force of a South African backlash that would have knocked most, nearly all teams off their feet.

So there isn't much point in the Samoans being overly hard on themselves. This game was always a long shot for them to win and their campaign is really all about the next two tests against Japan and Scotland. That's what they are here for - to make the quarter-finals, which they will surely do if they post wins in their next two games.

But while they shouldn't rip themselves to shreds over the way they performed, they do need some reasonable analysis and honest assessment. There were bits of their game that were poor by their own making and others that never stood a chance based on what the Springboks were bringing.

The lineout was a case of the latter. The twin towers of Eben Etzebeth and Victor Matfield destroyed Samoa's game on the touchline. The accuracy of South Africa's kick-chase game in the first half and their ball retention in the second gave Samoa so little possession and territory.

But Samoa will know they could have done more to keep the ball. They will feel all aspects of their kicking were poor. Their kickoffs, especially, gave South Africa time to set rolling mauls and win penalties.

Then there was the avoidable intercept pass that was a big factor in shifting the momentum.

Mike Stanley looked up, saw JP Pietersen blocking the path to Alesana Tuilagi and went to throw it over the top. He just didn't get it anywhere near high enough and the instant Pietersen dotted down, South Africa settled and began to believe.

"We threw everything at it. South Africa came hard at us from the start and credit to them," said Samoa's coach Stephen Betham. "It was exactly everything we expected [from South Africa]. We tried to throw things their way, they responded well but we didn't."

The door is still open for Samoa, though. They can still do what they came to England to do and should be able to draw some positives from their performance.

They held up physically on defence - South Africa may have scored six tries, but they had to work for them all. The Samoans held their structure and shape on defence and barely missed a tackle which shows how relentless the Boks were.

Everything is still to play for and Samoa, with a bit of luck, are still on track to make the last eight.