TWICKENHAM, London -- In the wake of South Africa's agonising Rugby World Cup semifinal defeat to New Zealand on Saturday evening, Lood de Jager was in no mood to ponder successes yet to come. Not when the chance to lift the Webb Ellis Cup had been lost for another four years.

De Jager, 22, has formed an impressive second-row partnership with Eben Etzebeth -- himself only 23 until Thursday -- over the last three months that bellies the pair's tender years. At Twickenham the locks put in a combined 30 tackles as the Springboks unsettled the All Blacks up front.

When considered alongside the various attributes of Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Frans Malherbe it was the kind of performance that has had spectators salivating at the thought of what could be achieved in four years' time.

Handre Pollard is key to South AFrica's future© Paul Gilham/Getty Images

However, for De Jager there is no solace to be found in platitudes. South Africa arrived in England with the sole intention of winning the World Cup, and while they have restored pride following their opening defeat to Japan, it is a mission in which they have ultimately failed -- for now.

"We're disappointed," he told ESPN. "I know we're a young team but the young players in our team, we back ourselves and think we can compete with anyone in the world. [That's] not being arrogant, it's just how it is.

"So, we're disappointed, we're not happy, we're not proud or anything, we wanted to win the World Cup and we didn't win the World Cup. So, we're not proud, we're disappointed. But going forward, yeah we have a young team that can get some more experience over the next four years and hopefully next World Cup we can win it."

Many of the players who will form the backbone of the team at the next World Cup owe their international careers to current coach, Heyneke Meyer. He has been bold in his approach to youth, while also creating an environment in which they have been able to learn from the likes of Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger.

Meyer, though, refused to comment on his future with the Springboks as he picked apart his side's exit from the tournament, saying only that he was "there to serve" should he be required by SA Rugby for another four years. But given a new deal is reportedly already on the table, would it not be pertinent to keep him in charge?

"I think it's important," De Jager said. "He's a great coach and I want to thank him for the opportunities he gave me, in this World Cup and throughout this year. And he's stuck with the young players even though he's got a lot of pressure on him from people and I've got a lot of respect for him.

"We don't know our future -- none of us know our future, that's how rugby goes -- so that's why you have to play every game to the best of your ability. Hopefully the coach stays and hopefully we can build in the next four years and hopefully we can win the next World Cup."

What is in no doubt is that the South Africa team that starts the long road to the 2019 World Cup with next year's Rugby Championship will have a different look to the one that bowed out in west London. For Fourie du Preez, de Villiers, Matfiled and Burger Friday's third-place playoff will mark the end of their international rugby careers.

That quartet will go down as greats of the South African game, and have clearly left their mark on the younger members of the current squad.

"I just want to thank them a lot, I think we've learned a hell of a lot from them," De Jager said. "Not just on the field, off the field as well. [I have] a lot of respect for them as people and as players and just want to wish them luck going in their separate ways, some of them going overseas and some of them finishing their rugby entirely.

"I just want to wish them luck and thank them for everything they've done for me."

Will their impending retirements give the team added incentive to claim third on Friday? "Of course, it will be their last game. But we don't need an added incentive, we want to win because you play a Test for your country. It's still a Test for South Africa and we want to play well and we want to win."