The reason why people won’t ‘get out the swords’ for Rassie Erasmus, but ‘one’ Springboks tactic stumped Victor Matfield
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and, inset, legendary retired lock Victor Matfield
Legendary Springboks lock Victor Matfield has explained why Sunday’s shock loss to the Wallabies won’t have South African fans sharpening their swords for Rassie Erasmus.
15 days after defeating the All Blacks in Baltimore to clinch a 3-1 series success in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, a much-changed Springboks XV were ambushed by Australia in Perth.
So troubling was the level of performance that the reigning double world champions trailed 42-17 with 15 minutes remaining, but a late flourish – helped by the farcical situation of the Wallabies having four overlapping yellow cards and playing with just 11 players – saw the margin of defeat reduced to four.
However, the underwhelming Springbok display won’t have fans up in arms complaining, according to Matfield. Appearing on Rugby Rivals to analyse his former team’s second loss in 14 matches, a run stretching back 12 months to their September 2025 defeat by the All Blacks in Auckland, he explained why it was awkward to be critical of head coach Erasmus.
“We haven’t had a two in a row for a very long time…”
“It’s difficult to criticise him,” he admitted. “What he has done with the team, what he has done for the country. I mean, if we lose another two or three, then the people will start getting out the swords, but we haven’t had a two in a row for a very long time (November 2022).
“So, yes, it was a Test match, but it was a friendly Test match. You don’t really get friendly Test matches, but most South Africans almost didn’t know we’re playing Australia. They thought it’s only at the end of year we’re playing again. So, everyone believes in him [Erasmus].”
Matfield experienced this first-hand on Sunday at a South African rugby club where he was a post-match speaker. “At the function, I went up and thought it was going to be very difficult, but as I walked up, they started playing ‘Rassie’ and everyone was standing up and cheering after a loss.
“So, I couldn’t believe it. People believe in what he’s doing, and he’s shown it. We’ve lost in World Cup pool matches, but when it’s important to win games, he gets the guys together.”
Ex-Springboks boss questions Rassie Erasmus’ selection: ‘He looks like a lock playing flank’
Retired All Black John Kirwan chipped in to voice his admiration for Erasmus’ way of running the Springboks, a confidence that resulted in him making 13 changes to the starting XV in Perth from the team that ran out in Baltimore.
“He’s earned the right to do this stuff. Do I agree with some of the things he does? No… but the thing about Rassie is he pushes the boundaries all the time, and sometimes those boundaries backfire on them.
“He pushed the boundaries this (past) week. If you’re an Aussie and the Australians are a proud nation, Rassie changes 10 players (sic); they would see that as a personal insult.
“They’re competitors, they like to win, so by doing some of this stuff, he’s also giving the opposition a hell of a motivation, but he’s earned the right and the courage that he shows to do that stuff is encouraged.”
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Matfield, though, wasn’t giving Erasmus a free pass to excuse the loss, as he went on to outline how bemused he was with the Springboks’ kicking plan.
He compared the impact made by Wallaby Joseph Suaalii in the air as akin to what used to happen when Israel Folau was in his pomp. Sunday was midfielder Suaalii’s first outing on the wing, and he was allowed to shine because of the South African kicking strategy.
Reflecting on the match, the retired Bok forward said: “The one thing that I couldn’t understand is, we say we are a detailed coaching staff, but a lot of our kicks went up onto Suaalii, who is one of the best guys under the high ball.
“That’s almost like in the old days when you played Australia and Folau was there. You need to have a plan not to kick on him because he was the best in the world under the high ball, so you had to have other plans. Somehow it just felt like all our kicks went to Suaalii, and he was fantastic on the wing. Maybe that’s his position.”
