Springboks: Rassie Erasmus calls for improvement in key area against ‘brilliant’ All Blacks
Springboks duo Ethan Hooker and Jesse Kriel combine to stop an All Blacks player's progress and South Africa's head coach Rassie Erasmus (inset).
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has urged his team to improve in a key area during the last two Tests of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
South Africa are set to face New Zealand at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday in their third clash of the four-Test series.
This, after they clinched a 33-26 victory over the All Blacks at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday which levelled the Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1. The sides will also play a fourth Test in Baltimore, USA on September 12.
All Blacks sharper on attack
Despite their win in Cape Town, the Springboks were made to work hard for the result and the All Blacks eventually outscored them by four tries to three.
Although Erasmus was happy to have returned to winning ways, he was far from happy with his side’s defensive effort and wants improvement in that facet of play.
“They [New Zealand] are a brilliant team and there are definitely things we must fix,” he said. “I don’t want to be technical about the edge defence, but they have really smart players and they are two classes up from what they were last year.
“The one thing we immediately agreed in the changing room is that this is a really good New Zealand team. This week we did a lot of things much better, and I can tell you now that this is not the same New Zealand team we played last year.
“They attacked with width, they got offloads away, they are really well coached and they have got athletes who can beat you on a dime. A couple of more phases at the end and it could have been a draw.”
The Springboks scored all their tries in the first half with Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi dotting down as they held a 24-14 lead at half-time.
Accurate goal-kicking from Cheslin Kolbe, who finished with an 18-point haul courtesy of four penalties and three conversions, proved the difference between the sides, the Boks’ win relieving some of the pressure after last week’s 33-16 defeat in Johannesburg.
“We 100 per cent understand the pressure and why people are upset because no one wants to support a losing team,” said Erasmus.
‘The players will tell you I felt the pressure’
“No one in South Africa wants to support anything that’s not working. A loss here and there doesn’t make you a losing team immediately, but it’s when you go on a losing run that the pressure comes on. But, of course, I felt the pressure. The players will tell you I felt the pressure. I was nervous.
“We must make sure we’re not comfortable after this win and think we’re all good again because there were things we didn’t do well.”
The Boks boss revealed that the late switch of front-rows – starting with the trio that had been named on the replacements’ bench – was due to the drier weather conditions.
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“The closer we came to the game the weather was said to be dry, so we felt that a front row that was a little bit lighter would be better on a dry field,” he explained.
Saturday’s marked the 100th cap for Pieter-Steph du Toit who took over the captaincy when fellow flanker Kolisi was replaced in the second half.
Du Toit said: “I started at Newlands and now to be here at Cape Town Stadium was very special for me; being able to have all my family here. I’m just very grateful for how things played out.”
