Am stumped by Boks’ handicap in Australia after Adelaide downer: 'It's really hard coming here'

Lukhanyo Am, a player who has an answer for almost everything thrown at him on the field, was puzzled by the Springboks’ mental blockade when playing the Wallabies in Australia.

The Boks succumbed 25-17 to Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, making it four straight defeats in Australia for the group that Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, now coached by Jacques Nienaber.

The defeat also meant that the Wallabies’ nine-year unbeaten run at home since Heyneke Meyer’s 2013 Bok won in Brisbane is preserved for at least another week, with the Sydney Test to come next Saturday.

AS IT HAPPENED | Australia vs South Africa

"That’s a hard one. If we knew, we’d have had better results against them," Am tried to explain the handicap in Australia.

"The Wallabies are a quality side, we have to give it to them. They’ve found balance between their forwards and backs in their team.

"It’s really hard coming here and getting the results. We’ll still have to find ways or plans on trying to [devise] better ways to get the results our side.

"We’ve got a seven-day turnaround and we’ll try to get a better result next week."

From the first kick-off, where the Boks lost the contestable kick down the middle, the visitors were under pressure and never quite recovered.

Fraser McReight scored the first of his two tries in the opening minute – a sign of things that unfolded for the rest of the 80.

Alongside Marika Koroibete, who scored the Wallaby second before McReight’s clincher at the death, the young loose-forward gave the supposedly superior and more experienced Boks a torrid time.

"It was a tough game for us and we didn’t start the way we wanted to," Am admitted.

"The opportunities we got we didn’t take. What crippled us was that we weren’t as