In DublinSpringbok coach Jacques Nienaber said Saturday's loss against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium shouldn't be contextualised with next year's World Cup meeting in Paris.
The Boks lost a Test in Dublin for the third consecutive time since 2012 when they went down 19-16, but Nienaber held a comfort crumb of history, saying what happens in the year before a World Cup doesn't define what takes place in a tournament.
He did admit Ireland will have the confidence and leeway to experiment more now that they've got past the first Autumn Test hurdle. MATCH REPORT | Disappointment in Dublin: Irish passion, accuracy overpower Boks as hosts secure tense win "I don't think so.
I think you learn a lot and it is good preparation. It may or may not build momentum, but Ireland will go into their next game with a lot of momentum," Nienaber said. "In 2018, we lost 50 percent of our games, and we still won the World Cup.