Erasmus Says Boks ‘Back In The Mix’ For Rugby Championship Title
Rassie Erasmus said the Springboks are “back in the mix” for the Rugby Championship after his team delivered a commanding performance to defeat the All Blacks at Sky Stadium on Saturday.
The Springboks scored four of their six tries in the second half to secure their biggest-ever win over their rivals in the competition.
The Springboks knew they had to play their best rugby after losing the first game 24-17 at Eden Park last weekend.
In that match, the team made too many mistakes, with several turnovers and lost lineouts that the All Blacks capitalized on.
This time, however, things were different. Despite injuries to fullback Aphelele Fassi, who was having a strong game, and two-try scorer Cheslin Kolbe, the back-to-back world champions completely outplayed Scott Robertson’s side on their home turf.
The team’s other tries were scored by Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, and Andre Esterhuizen.
“We can’t celebrate too much because of the respect we have for them,” Erasmus said after the game.
“We are now in the mix in the Rugby Championship. Obviously, people are going to talk about records, but they kept the record at Eden Park [of not having lost since 1994, and the Boks having not won there since 1937], they didn’t rub it in our faces. The scoreline is nice and for the guys to hang in there, it is nice. But I don’t think we have to dwell on that.”
With this win, the Springboks are not only back in contention for the Rugby Championship they won last season but have also retained the Freedom Cup against their illustrious rivals, having beaten the All Blacks in both matches for the first time in consecutive years.
This victory also saw the Springboks return to number one in the world rankings.
The win moves the Springboks to second place in the Rugby Championship with 10 points after four matches, just one point behind leaders Australia, who were stunned by Argentina earlier in the day.
The Springboks will now host Argentina, who are fourth, in two matches, first at Kings Park Stadium later this month and again in London in early October. New Zealand will face Australia in its remaining two matches.
“They gave us 57-0 [in 2017], but this is nice, it is satisfying,” added Erasmus, who was sitting at the press conference alongside captain Siya Kolisi.
“But in reality, tomorrow they will regroup, and Argentina will look to attack our scrums, our lineouts. We are going to enjoy tonight, we are going to flippin’ enjoy tonight. I will have a good time tonight and back on the plane and land in South Africa, and it is back to reality again.
“We are second on the log in the Rugby Championship, and the next two games will determine that again. New Zealand didn’t rub it in our faces last weekend when they won at Eden Park to keep the record. For us, it is nice to have a winning margin like that, but the reality is that tomorrow it is a new day.”
