Wholesale changes will be far from Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer's mind when he selects his team to play the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, but the defeat against Australia may force him into a significant amendment.
Morné Steyn has for the most part served with distinction but his performance against the Wallabies must invite searching interrogation of the flyhalf options available to the coach this weekend.
Steyn was on the mark with his goal-kicking, with six successful attempts out of seven at the Patersons Stadium, but his tactical kicking and defence left a lot to be desired.
The Boks'reliance on kicking away possession meant Steyn was under constant scrutiny, yet his probes via the boot failed to put the Wallabies under significant threat.
But Meyer was loath to single out Steyn after the Test though he did mention the crucial penalty that failed to find touch with three minutes to go that would have had the dual impact of relieving pressure and presenting the opportunity to bring the sin-binned Bryan Habana back into the fray.
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