Rassie Erasmus has delivered his verdict following South Africa's heartbreaking 21-19 defeat to France, with referee Andrea Piardi coming under intense scrutiny after a controversial night in Paris.
The Springboks suffered their first Nations Championship defeat despite a spirited second-half comeback at the Stade de France.
France raced into a 21-7 half-time lead before tries from Cobus Reinach and Malcolm Marx dragged South Africa back into contention.
However, Manie Libbok missed a crucial conversion as the world champions fell two points short.
And Erasmus was in no mood to make excuses.
Erasmus takes responsibility
"We didn't play well, so don't find a lot of excuses," Erasmus admitted.
The Springboks boss accepted that his side had wasted opportunities and allowed France to dictate too much of the contest.
"With everything that went wrong, we sort of played ourselves into that hole. It wasn't that France forced us into playing the way we did."
Erasmus also defended his players, suggesting the coaching staff needed to examine why South Africa had looked unusually hesitant.
"It was almost like we were a bit tentative tonight, and when something like that happens, it normally comes down to the coaching staff."
As Rugby365 reported in its post-match coverage, Erasmus was reluctant to blame anyone outside the Springboks camp.
Springboks boss finds positives
Despite the defeat, Erasmus praised his players for refusing to surrender.
"It's hard to look for positives in a defeat; it's not nice, but if I have to take a positive out of this match, it would be the effort, grind and pride the players showed."
He was particularly pleased with South Africa's defensive effort.
"I really thought we tackled with guts and we kept them out."
France failed to score after the opening half-hour, but the Springboks could not complete their comeback.
The result also sparked fierce criticism of several South African players, with Springboks supporters delivering their own brutal verdicts following the final whistle.
Rassie Erasmus delivers referee verdict
Attention inevitably turned to Italian referee Andrea Piardi.
Several decisions sparked debate, with RUCK's referee assessment examining the biggest talking points from a controversial evening.
South Africa's dominance at scrum time also left Erasmus questioning whether his side had relied too heavily on winning penalties.
The Springboks boss suggested referees face enormous pressure when making technical decisions in front of a passionate home crowd.
"The referee thinks, 'There's a lot of people here. I can let this play out or make a technical call,'" Erasmus explained.
But rather than launch into an attack on Piardi, Erasmus delivered a surprisingly restrained response.
"I'm not blaming the ref."
As reported in the post-match reaction, Erasmus acknowledged the challenges facing officials and suggested South Africa needed to adapt better.
The admission was particularly striking given his history of publicly questioning refereeing performances.
Ultimately, the Springboks boss believed his own side's discipline had proved decisive.
"I guess the frustration is how our discipline cost us, and to lose by two points…to lose by any margin is terrible, but in conclusion, our discipline cost us."
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