Springbok coach Peter de Villiers told Parliament on Tuesday his team lacked killer instinct ahead of their Rugby World Cup title defence, the Beeld reported.
But, he added, he himself deserved a medal.
De Villiers was dragged in front of Parliament’s portfolio committee on sport after the Boks lost both matches of their Tri-Nations away leg, against Australia and New Zealand in July.
“At the moment we lack the ability to land a knockout blow when our opponents are against the ropes,” De Villiers said, according to the Afrikaans daily.
“There is an extreme fear of hazardous rugby and the standard of certain players is also a concern.”
De Villiers denied that he had sent key players to a training camp in Rustenburg during the Tri-Nations tour, insisting they had been sent there to rehabilitate various injuries.
“In a normal year we would risk five or six of those injured players in the Tri-Nations but this is not a normal year,” he said.
After four years at the helm, De Villiers said he deserved a medal for his efforts.
The Springboks were set to face the Wallabies in Durban on August 13 and the All Blacks in Port Elizabeth on August 20 before the start of their World Cup campaign in New Zealand in September. — Sapa