Wales hooker Scott Baldwin has insisted that only a "moment of brilliance" separated his side and South Africa in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final this afternoon.
The difference between the two teams was never more than six points during a topsy-turvy contest that saw the lead change hand no fewer than seven times.
However, the match was ultimately decided when South Africa number eight Duane Vermeulen picked up the ball at the back of a scrum and flicked it behind his back to Fourie du Preez to go over for the winning try five minutes from time.
After the match, Baldwin told Sports Mole that his side were "devastated" by the result, but believes that they will look back on their gallant performance with pride.
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Obviously that was a disappointing result for the team, but is there a tinge of pride in there as well?
"I don't know right now, to be honest. We've lost. I think when we look back it obviously will be pride. You look at the way the boys dug in today. There were boys with injuries in certain parts of the game just getting back up.
"We're devastated for the older players in our team. We wanted to go out and win it for them today. Alun Wyn [Jones] spoke in the week that there are limited chances for certain players now. We're just devastated to have lost that match today. We felt like we should have won it. We were in positions at times to win it."
Where do you feel it was won and lost? Wales gave away 12 points to penalties in the first half alone...
"Vermeulen's pass round the back, it's as simple as that. One moment of brilliance from him defined the game. The first half we gave away some silly penalties after we scored points. We conceded off kickoffs, poor penalties and easy threes for them. When we look back on it that was probably the turning point of the game, the first half.
"Credit for the way the boys came back from being down in certain points in that game to take the lead again and again. It's just those fine margins. [If] Vermuelen doesn't get that ball away I'd back the defence nine times out of 10 to stop them scoring there. It was just a moment of brilliance from him, and obviously Fourie du Preez has done really well on the outside."
Warren Gatland described those penalties as "soft" - do you feel you were harshly treated by the referee or was it more a case of Welsh ill-discipline?
"A bit of both I think. There were one or two which were silly from us, but one or two it was just the toss of a coin. We probably had a few of them as well the other side of the field, so you can't really argue with that. It's swings and roundabouts - you get penalties sometimes and you give away penalties at certain times. It's just the silly ones we need to cut out."
After all of the Welsh troubles so far - the injuries and being drawn in the Pool of Death - was that final 10 minutes just a stretch too far for the team?
"I don't think it was that. I think it was just that one moment of brilliance from Duane Vermeulen. I was in the medical room when they scored but Tyler [Morgan] had come in and then gone off so it was another reshuffle in the backs.
"We had full confidence in James [Hook] in there, he's a world-class player. It just shows the strength in depth that we have in Wales at the moment. It's great for Welsh rugby in the future."
Can you sum up just how tough the match was because it looked like a particularly gruelling contest?
"It was very physical. Every time you play South Africa it's going to be a physical game. They're very big men. From our point of view I think the boys can hold their heads high. We've done ourselves proud today, it was just that fine margin and that moment of brilliance."
Barney Corkhill
