An unconvincing start to the tour

The first match of an away tour is critical. It sets the pace for the remainder of the games and lets the team get a feel for playing with one another again.

The Argentinean match will have left the Boks with more questions than answers.

Jake White was wrong to start with an all new back row today. Combinations make teams look good, and the loose forwards should be tied together with an invisible piece of string.

Having said that, White did not have much choice after the injuries to Big Joe and Pedrie Wannenburg. But I would have started Schalk today. Perhaps the way to bring in Solly Tyibilika (a good player who deserves some game time) would have been to start Schalk as eighth man with Solly and Juan Smith as flanks. Or to have started with Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and Jacques Cronje and bringing on Solly in the second half.

But one of South Africa's most established combinations looked jaded and in Bakkies Botha's case, invisible. Victor Matfield began to show some class in the second half.

John Smit also looked a shadow of the player who silenced his critics in the Tri-Nations. He missed a tackle on Contempomi that resulted in a crucial Argentinean try. It was a shocking attempt.

When the forwards look poor it is difficult for backs to look good. Bolla will be disappointed with his return to the Boks with an up and down performance. It showed why Neil de Kock was the preferred choice for Western Province during the Currie Cup.

Andre Pretorius' injury is nightmare stuff for Jake White. Nightmares because Brent Russell did not show the tactical nous required to step up to the plate. White might be forced into selecting Monty at flyhalf rather than blooding Bosman for the Wales match. He needs a cool head and strong boot at flyhalf and Monty is one of his few options.

The Boks talked of using today's match as a true test of their forwards' strength and a good chance to prove their backs could attack through phased play. Yes our front row and set scrum looked good. But that's where it stopped. If the backs were going to create, they need the forwards to show some patience in setting up the phases. They needed to use their wings the way the Aussies use Taquiri and the All Blacks use Rokocoko by bringing them off the blind side and into the line on attack. When Habana joined the line in the flyhalf channel, he kicked the ball.

Today was not a disaster because the Boks were pushed by an Argentinean side that has beat the French and pushed the All Blacks close. It was a match that is cause for grave concern because it was a match that the Boks needed to get things right in, against a strong side. They needed to get things right in order to know themselves better. So that they could perfect things against Wales. So they are prepared for the French.