Wallaby greats single out Rassie Erasmus’ ‘pretty special quality’ and explain why All Blacks were ‘unbelievable’ despite ‘clearly getting out-muscled, outclassed’
All Black Ethan Blackadder is confronted by a trio of Springboks and, inset, South African head coach Rassie Erasmus
A trio of Wallaby greats have praised the brilliance of Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus and lauded the defeated All Blacks for their contribution to Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
The four-match Test series concluded last weekend in the United States of America with the Boks winning 43-28 in Baltimore to confirm their 3-1 triumph in a contest that was 2-1 in their favour following the three-match segment played on South African soil.
Erasmus and his squad are now in Australia, preparing in Terrigal ahead of their September 27 clash with the Wallabies in Perth, and the way they saw off the New Zealand change has been lauded on the KOKO Show.
Former Aussie internationals Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper were effusive in their praise for the reigning back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions. Uppermost in their collective approval of the Springboks was coach Erasmus.
“Completely blunt with each other…”
“The way that he has been able to manage all the players getting game time exposure at that level, then obviously his communication’s great,” enthused Mitchell following a series where 30 South African players were involved across the four matches.
“They all know where they sit, and they know they’re likely to get another crack in the future or whatever. To have so many players getting rotated so frequently and not have any factions within the group and whatever; everything you hear about the Springboks when they talk, it’s all about the team.
“Like, their honesty sessions after a game when they review, they talk about just being completely blunt with each other. To be able to have that and have players that probably do deserve to have more caps than they have, but because of this rotation policy they don’t get it, they are all still very much team first – to be able to manage that for over a sustained period of time is a pretty special quality as a coach.”
Giteau was especially impressed by how the confidence of a player seems to grow just because they are wearing a Springbok jersey. “Rassie has created so much depth,” he said.
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“You talk about the 15 that you start; when we were playing, it was like you tire them out and then we’ll wear them out because they’re bigger bodies – you just got to hang in there for a moment, whereas now the people coming off the bench are as good as the starters, but they’re fresh and it’s a harder challenge.
“When you watch the Springboks, when you’re talking about the numbers they have, the bench and whatever, the impact they have, every player it seems when they play for the Springboks gains a level of confidence.
“It’s almost like they know that they’re going to wear teams down and everyone comes on with such clarity, it just looks like they’re so well-oiled at the moment.”
Given how connected the Springboks were, the ability of the All Blacks to stay in the fight and remain competitive despite the odds caught Giteau’s eye. “The Springboks, when it’s a big game, especially the last couple of years, they’re so hard to compete with. Like, their line speed in defence.
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“The All Blacks were unbelievable the way they just kept fighting and staying in it, staying at it, kept competing when they were clearly getting out-muscled, outclassed.
“Damian McKenzie made that little break and if he was passing outside, maybe (Kurt-Lee) Arendse would have got to Will Jordan, but they might have recycled it and potentially scored, and they’re only eight behind then.
“That could have been a huge telling moment. In the end they spill the ball and Arendse goes to length. Game’s over. The Springboks probably end up winning, but it just shows how close the All Blacks kind of were while never being in it; I kind of admired their fight.
“There are still areas that you can attack them [the Springboks] because with their line speed, there are seams where they just shoot up and you can create confusion with who they think they’ve got.
“You could see it when McKenzie went through, or Tupou Vaa’i went through on another seam, but there were seams in and around. Even Codie Taylor, that wide seam, just getting who they thought they had and he’s got a bit of a gap. So there are opportunities, but there’s just not many against them.”
Cooper added: “The Springboks one to 15, it’s hard to find a weak link in their game. Like when you’re previewing teams, it might be someone under the high ball or might be someone’s inside shoulder in defence; there’s always a target or an opportunity to attack.
“What is it with the Springboks? Like, set-piece is dominant. Defensively across the board, they’re strong. Yeah, they’ve got a little bit of line speed, they open up the edge for attacking teams, and if you’re good enough to get to there, that’s fair play. But their attack, the D, their power, their carries are dominant.
“They remain the No.1 team in the world. That series lived up to every expectation. Is it rugby’s greatest rivalry? I’ve loved watching the Springboks and All Blacks Tests over the years, but that series was elite. Genuinely elite.
“Like, some world-class football from both teams. Like, the Springboks were obviously very, very impressive, comprehensive last weekend. However, the All Blacks as well, like how they can stay in the fight, that’s scary too.
“And I thought the inclusion of Richie Mo’unga – he did a good enough job – so that shows they have got depth as well, for those quality players to come back in and just kind of seamlessly fit back in.
“It would have been interesting to know if the game would have changed if Ruben Love was at 10, but hands down, that was class football from both teams.”
