Bok verdict: Attacking inefficiency again to the fore as Irish defeat bites

In Dublin

A common theme of Springbok post-match press conferences, which are handled gracefully and manfully by captain Siya Kolisi and coach Jacques Nienaber, is the constant lamentation of unused opportunities in the opposition's 22.

It was the trend in the Wales Test series this year where, despite a series win, multiple 22m entries were scantly rewarded.

The Boks were not punished there, but the rugby gods' retribution was painful in the Rugby Championships where they exerted a forward dominance rarely seen in international rugby but had little to show for that.

Whether it is infuriating or exasperating, depending on which side of the fence you sit on, there is an undeniable inability to put teams away.

The Boks have pretty much anything a team wants, but their lack of killer instinct is an issue the coaching group, despite being able to score tries, is no closer to resolving.

Kolisi understood why they need to get better in terms of executing their opportunities and despite his positive outlook, it's become clear their bluntness in the 22 is a concern.

READ | Bok mentor Nienaber not fazed by World Cup ramifications of Ireland defeat

"It's very painful because we create so many opportunities, yet we don't take them, yet another team will have only one or two and use them," Kolisi said.

"Those are points of difference that see one team win and the other on the losing side. It's not a great thing not to convert our opportunities because we're robbing ourselves of momentum and consistency.

"Not converting our opportunities isn't good for us, but it's something we intend on fixing."

Had the Boks been able to convert their chances, they wouldn't have found themselves at the mercy of mistakes made by match official Nika Amashukeli