Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim Mashaba says he is symphathetic to Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer following the loss in their opening match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup currently underway in England.

Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim Mashaba says he is symphathetic to Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer following the loss in their opening match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup currently underway in England.

The South Africans were defeated 29-32 by Japan on Saturday, 19 September in Brighton.

“I would like to convey my symphathies to the coach of the Springboks after their loss to Japan. While he, as well as millions of South Africans, had high hopes about that match, the unthinkable happened but it must not drain their energy,” said Mashaba.

The Bafana Bafana mentor visited the team before their departure to England and spent some time with Meyer.

”As Bafana Bafana we are behind them and know they can turn things around. They should just put their shoulders to the wheel and keep on working hard. The match is in the past, but it is critical to refer to that defeat and see what happened so as not to repeat the same mistakes again. We were and are still disappointed at the outcome but its not the end of the tournament. We still believe and have a lot of trust in the team. All the best against Samoa on Saturday, we know you can do it,” added Mashaba.

South Africa take on Samoa on Saturday, 26 September in Birmingham and still has to face the USA and Scotland.

The Springboks are currently in third place, two points adrift of Samoa and Japan. Scotland and the USA are fourth and fifth respectively.