South Africa's 32-34 Rugby World Cup defeat to Japan will rank in sporting histories as one of the most shocking results of all time.
The Brave Blossoms victory was barely believable and left followers of the Springboks wondering just how such an upset could have happened.
Now, it appears we have the reason. It was the seagulls.
Rugby World Cup 2015 team of the weekend - round one
According to reports emerging out of the South African camp, the Springboks' training sessions at Eastbourne College in Sussex have been disrupted by hundreds of birds dive-bombing the pitches and covering the surface in poo.
Rugby World Cup: Pesky seagulls plague South African Springboks training ground with POO #springboks Now i know why we lost #rwc2015
— no.9 (@TheatreAfrica) September 20, 2015
The £32,000-a-year private school has previously been used by the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks during international tours to Britain without any reports of bird effluent-related issues.
Head groundsman Richard Maryan, who has spent months preparing the pitches for the visit of Heyneke Meyer's side, was forced to use a Harris hawk named George to fend off the gulls. However, it seems as though the damage has already been done to the South African cause.
“At one time we had more than 100 gulls on the pitch after we had cut the grass and they were making an horrendous mess,” Maryan told the Daily Star.
To coincide with the Rugby World Cup, The Independent has launched a new app! Live scores, team line-ups, in-game stats and breaking news will ensure you keep on top of the tournament. Use the links below to download the free app...
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