The Springboks have surely plumbed their lowest depths with their defeat to the 13th-ranked team in world rugby, and subsequently slipping to sixth in the latest world rankings. While Japan deserve plaudits for their impressive performance, the reality is they remain a third-tier outfit. I shudder to think how much lower Heyneke Meyer's team can still sink. For Meyer to justify his side's inability by offering the lame excuse that he always knew this World Cup campaign would prove the toughest yet simply doesn't cut it.The Rugby Championship defeat to Argentina in Durban now looks mild in comparison.Having been drawn in a seemingly favourable pool - alongside Japan, Samoa, the US and Scotland - South Africa's toughest assignment should have been the first-class overnight flight from OR Tambo International to Heathrow.I believe South Africa's morale was undermined prior to kick-off in Brighton.The injury to Willem Alberts at the captain's run presented an ideal opportunity to start Siya Kolisi. As the only recognised loose forward on the bench, Kolisi thought the coach had full faith in him. However, after Pieter-Steph du Toit - a lock with limited experience at Test level - was preferred to a specialist flanker, just imagine what the talk among the players would have been. While Kolisi came on for the final 23 minutes of the fixture, I honestly can't see how he can trust the coach going forward.This decision was not only damaging to Kolisi but also cancelled out the Springboks' competitive edge at the breakdown. Moreover, it nullified the decision-making process before, during and after the ruck was formed.Although the Springboks controlled the scrum set-piece, they allowed the Brave Blossoms to make valuable metres off the back foot, and ended up scrambling. To add to South Africa's defensive woes, they seldom got off the line and, as such, allowed Japan the space in which to execute their attacking strategies.In contrast, the Springboks failed to earn the right to run the ball sensibly during the 84-minute match. There was no purpose to South Africa's running game and they hardly ever created space, attacked space or even attacked the ball in the backline.Everything is not lost for the Boks, but the mental edge they once held over other teams no longer exists. The always-competitive Samoa will prepare firm in the belief that they can beat South Africa, which will make them more than worthy opponents.In my book, you don't need to be a master tactician to work out how to counter the Springboks' game- plan at this stage. If you guard the first channel, especially in the red zone, it's easy to stop them. Furthermore, when you stay composed and patient, the chance of effecting a turnover against Meyer's men increases exponentially. The reason being: the ball seldom exchanges hands twice and the support play is usually very slow, and often too late because the players line up in order to carry the ball.The sooner the Springboks realise skill is as much part of the game as physicality, the sooner they will become a threat in more than one pillar on which the game is built...