Dublin drubbin' may force Springboks reshuffle

Beleaguered Bok coach Allister Coetzee is having second thoughts about his selection policy that backs continuity to help avoid another end-of-season northern hemisphere whitewash.

His team slumped to a record 38-3 defeat at the hands of Ireland in their tour opener in front of frenzied home team support on Saturday.

It was a match the tourists were desperate to win and get onto the front foot for the rest of the tour, which also features matches against France, Italy and Wales.

Instead, Coetzee's team was outplayed by an Irish team that played with great verve and vigour in the scrum and breakdown collisions, as well as greater zeal in attack.

The Springboks were uninspiring as they suffered their third defeat of the year.

It is the manner of some of those defeats that will rankle with those who bleed green and gold.

The coach conceded it may be time to give more peripheral players an opportunity to show their wares when the Boks play France at Stade de France on Saturday.

"One has to go have a look again and see whether there will be value added to the team if you make those changes," he said.

"Coenie Oosthuizen (knee injury) is a big loss for us at tighthead. Young Wilco Louw played well. We can build on that."

When asked to explain a defeat that carried some of the hallmarks of the hammering the Springboks received in Albany (57-0 against the All Blacks a few months ago), Coetzee was at a loss.

"It is difficult to explain. Look, no positives from our side. It is a disappointing defeat. As a group we take full responsibility. We let ourselves down and our support back home. The Albany thing was tough but we came back. We've got three games left on tour and we just have to fight our way back from this on tour."