SECOND TEST: Boks response to Ellis Park loss will speak volumes about their form and confidence

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has faced a lot of pressure before and every single time his side has found a way to come out on top.

After 106 games involved with the national side - winning two Rugby World Cups, a Lions series and having one of the most successful records in World Rugby, Saturday’s shock loss will be treated as a blip, and the Boks will be under pressure to come back stronger.

Perhaps it was the momentum the All Blacks had brought into the game, and the fact the Boks had not played together for a long time in this combination - a symptom of Erasmus changing the side up during the Nations’ Championship and building depth ahead of the World Cup title defence.

And perhaps that is too simplistic. On Saturday the Boks were simply outplayed by a side that soaked up their pressure, and when they saw an opening they struck and hit the Boks hard.

It is tough to make sense of the biggest loss of the Erasmus era - an era that has brought so much success to Springbok fans.

NOT TIME TO PANIC

But it is also important not to panic and not to be pressured into making changes simply for the sake of making changes.

Later on Monday we will get a sense of where Erasmus’ thinking is, as the team announcement reverts back to its regular Monday spot.

There is no doubt that because of the win, it is easy to say the Rennie won round one of the clash, both on and off the field.

The All Blacks have momentum, not having lost a game on tour and now head into the second game knowing they can strike at the heart of South African rugby - a 2-0 lead after two games would be unthinkable before the tour of this Springbok side - one which had dominated World Rugby for the past few years.

But Erasmus said it clearly in the build-up to the first test. You are only as good as your last game.

Those clichéd words are so true for the Springboks as they head into camp this morning.

A RESPONSE IS NEEDED

A shocked nation wants a response, and you can be sure the Boks do as well.

There was so much disjointed play on Saturday - so many good things backed up by poor decision-making. Loads of physicality but no clinical finishes. Loads of scrum dominance, but not the nuance to know when to take points and when to continue.

And in the end, it hit the Boks badly.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the 55th-minute penalty under the All Blacks posts shocked the Boks to such an extent. They had so much scrum dominance up until that moment that it rattled them.

They were on their way to taking the lead, and it stunned them.

And in that moment the All Blacks struck, and the Boks couldn’t recover.

HEADS DOWN AND REGROUP

Erasmus said afterwards that the Boks wouldn’t talk much this week; they would put their heads down and regroup. There was - in his words - a few small things that needed to be put right.

That may sound easy, but behind the scenes, the team will know they let their country down, and they need to be better.

The management will know their selection backfired and they have now handed the All Blacks an advantage that they need to negate.

They will know their backs are against the wall, but as Erasmus said on Saturday, perhaps it is better going into the Cape Town game as underdogs - traditionally it has been a South African strength to fight back against adversity.

FIGHTBACK NEEDS TO BE STRONG AND DECISIVE

That fightback needs to be strong and decisive. The Boks have earned the trust of South Africans across the spectrum with their success over the past few years. You don’t erase that with one loss.

But you can dent it, and unless they can prove they just had an off day and can bounce back, the series will be lost.

All the talk can be of how you can save it and make it 2-2, but a loss on Saturday would mean the All Blacks would technically have won the “series” in South Africa, and even if the Boks win at FNB Stadium, they will leave the country 2-1 down.

Erasmus and his team have faced many crises before and have found ways back, but to stay on top of World Rugby with a target on your back isn’t easy. And on Saturday, they got it wrong.

They deserve the chance to put it right and have earned the trust to do so. It won’t be easy, but this could be the biggest week of Erasmus’ highly successful career.

The way the Boks respond will tell us everything about where the camp is right now.