Rhys Priestland is left devastated by Wales' defeat to South Africa
© Getty Images
|
The New Zealand Herald argues that an innate lack of confidence cost Wales victory in their clash with South Africa on Sunday.
"Same old story. Plucky little Wales. How brave the boys were in defeat at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. They did everything but win. Yes, in the land of my blathers the soliloquies of consolation were long and winded.
"Francois Pienaar called it perfectly. He had just heard his fellow analyst Gareth "Alfie" Thomas taking all the positives out of his country's one-point loss to South Africa and he was aghast.
"'They didn't have the belief they could win,' said the World Cup-winning captain. 'And until they do believe, they won't win.'
"Pienaar said it as if believing was the easiest thing in the world, and to a mighty Springbok it probably is as straightforward as emptying bowels.
"But this inferiority complex has been forged in Wales over many thousands of years and to tell a Welsh person, and particularly a Welsh rugby fan, 'you only have to believe' is akin to informing an ape 'you only have to stop eating bananas'. Sorry, Frans, it's in our nature - it's even in our hymns."
RSS feed
