‘I don’t know if Andy Farrell knows much about Ireland’ – Damian de Allende reveals Springboks’ ‘emotional’ difference to the Irish
Damian de Allende hugging teary Handre Pollard after 2023 Rugby World Cup final win.
Damian de Allende says that the Springboks, under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, have an “emotional driver”, which is in contrast to Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
The teams prepare to face off in a huge two-Test series in South Africa, games that will have ramifications at the top of the world rankings.
It will be the Boks’ first matches at home since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where they went back-to-back by defeating New Zealand in the final.
That victory in the showpiece event was their third knockout win in a row by one point, displaying their ability to get the job done when the pressure is on.
Much of that has been credited to Erasmus, who took over in 2018 and quickly went about establishing a real connection between the players, supporters and coaches.
Comparison between Boks and Ireland
“We get the emotional driver. It’s hard to say. Andy Farrell is English so I don’t know if he knows much about Ireland, their history and what has happened in the past,” De Allende told RugbyPass TV.
“Because Rassie is South African and he loves South Africa so much – he’s played for the Springboks – he knows how to make us tick as South Africans and he knows how to make South Africa tick.
“The Irish don’t strike me as people that are emotional, I think South Africans are very emotional because a lot of us have tough pasts.
“I’m not saying Irish guys don’t have tough pasts but there’s a lot of us that came up from absolutely nothing and a lot of us appreciate that so much and appreciate what we had now. But there will always be that emotional drive that pushes us over the line or gets us going.
“We always think back to what we didn’t have, and what we have now.”
Damian de Allende expecting a ‘war’ with Ireland after media ‘disrespected’ the Springboks
De Allende also stated that Erasmus connects with the players due to the fact that the head coach is a former Springbok himself and played in some of the sport’s biggest games.
Rassie’s World Cup anecdote
“Rassie reminds us of when Stephen Larkham kicked a drop-goal to beat South Africa in the (1999) semi-final and Rassie was the one that missed the charge-down,” he added.
“He knows how close he was to winning the World Cup and that’s why he works so well with us because we actually understand what he went through and what he wanted to achieve for the Springboks and South Africa.
“He couldn’t do it as a player but he wanted to do it as a coach and he has done it as a coach.
“For me, he won’t stop now. For him, he wants to win another World Cup and I think that’s the most amazing thing about Rassie.
“You will get coaches that go back-to-back World Cups and then they will just leave, go to a club and then cash in, but I think his whole philosophy is to carry on and inspire, not just us but the whole of South Africa.”
