Rassie Explains Training Intensity And Player Age Philosophy

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says age is never the deciding factor when selecting his squad, insisting players earn their place by proving they can cope with the demanding intensity of the team’s training environment.

With several changes made to the side this week, including giving veteran Damian de Allende a break as the Springboks continue to build depth, Erasmus explained that workload management is carefully balanced with maintaining the standards required to perform at Test level.

“It plays a big role,” Erasmus said when asked about balancing player workloads while expanding the squad’s depth.

“I believe that if a player can handle the intensity of training sessions when the training intensity is really high, then age should not be a factor. If he can handle the intensity, doesn’t get injured, is ready for Saturday, and can perform on Saturday, then it means he’s not too old,” Erasmus explained.

He stressed that lowering training standards to accommodate older players — an approach he experienced earlier in his coaching career — would ultimately leave the team underprepared for the demands of Test rugby.

“If you start dropping the intensity of training sessions to accommodate older guys, which I was part of in teams in the past, then you’ve got a great team on paper, but those guys are not match-fit and ready for Saturday,” he said.

“So we try to keep the intensity of training sessions right up there. If the older guys hang in there, look after their bodies, recover well, and can still perform on Saturdays, then they’re not too old.”

The same principles apply to younger players, he added, with the coaching staff closely monitoring how individuals respond to the physical demands of training and a long season.

“Now it’s the same with the younger guys. Some guys break down during the week. Sometimes the intensity, the length of the season, or the number of matches is just too much.

“We like to keep the intensity high, and hopefully all the players, old and young, can handle it. Then, hopefully, when it comes to Saturday, it’s more or less the same. Not in terms of pressure — the pressure is different on a Saturday — but in terms of intensity.”

Erasmus also explained that players who were not involved in the previous Test are not simply rested but instead complete demanding training sessions to ensure they remain match-ready.

“The guys who didn’t play last week would have had a really tough training week, but they didn’t have the load of playing on Saturday.

“They’ll have a tough week again this week, but hopefully that will help them because they’re a little fresher than the guys who played a really tough match last weekend.”

The approach reflects Erasmus’ long-standing philosophy of building a squad capable of maintaining the same physical standards regardless of who is selected, while carefully managing workloads throughout a demanding international season.