Erasmus Confirms Split-Squad Plan After Unbeaten Nations Championship Home Leg

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus believes South Africa took another significant step forward after completing an unbeaten home leg of the Nations Championship, highlighting improvements in defence and set-piece execution despite difficult playing conditions against Wales.

The Springboks completed the three-match home campaign with victories over England, Scotland and Wales, scoring 130 points and 20 tries in the process. However, Erasmus admitted the greasy, heavy conditions at Kings Park made it difficult for either side to produce the expansive rugby they had hoped for.

He also pointed to Wales’ demanding travel schedule after their tour of Argentina as another factor that influenced the quality of the contest.

“You have to take into account that Wales flew from Argentina here. They then came to a field like this, which is wet and heavy, and you can’t really grab the ball and pass it that well. We saw world-class players make a few knock-ons in this game,” explained Erasmus.

Despite the handling errors, the Springbok coach was encouraged by the progress his side made in key areas, particularly after placing a strong emphasis on improving their defence during the week.

“In this game, you learn that our defence was better than last week. We worked really hard on that, and then our set piece was really, really solid.”

While acknowledging that South Africa made several mistakes with ball in hand, Erasmus felt many players handled the intensity and pressure of Test rugby far better than they had in previous outings.

“Some guys handled the pressure of Test match rugby a little better than they did last week. It’s difficult to say how much we’ve learned, but it’s a Test match and a lot of guys came through this Test match,” he added.

Reflecting on the unbeaten home campaign, Erasmus explained that the coaching staff measure progress by analysing each department of the game rather than judging performances solely on the final scoreline.

“We have to take it department by department,” the former Munster coach said.

“How were the scrums? How were the defensive scrums? How were the mauls? How was the maul stopping? How was the attack? How was the handling? We try to get better in each position, player-wise and then also tactically and technically.”

Although the Springboks rotated their squad extensively throughout the series, Erasmus believes the team continued to show steady improvement with each performance.

“I think we definitely got a little bit better in every game, but obviously, because we’re rotating, it does take cohesion away,” he admitted.

Attention now turns to the next phase of the Nations Championship, with South Africa set to travel to Argentina before returning home to host New Zealand in the highly anticipated Greatest Rivalry Series.

Erasmus revealed that the squad will be divided to ensure players are properly managed, with one group travelling to Argentina while another remains in South Africa to begin preparations for the clashes against the All Blacks.

“We will plan that some guys get a week off, then 26 guys will go to Argentina, while 15 or 16 guys will stay behind. One or two will be in rehab, and they’ll start training for the New Zealand series with a few coaches,” he explained.

Despite Argentina suffering home defeats to Scotland and England earlier in the competition—two teams the Springboks have beaten over the past three weeks—Erasmus expects Los Pumas to provide one of South Africa’s toughest tests.

The Springbok coach pointed to Argentina’s strong record against South Africa during his tenure, warning against reading too much into recent results.

“Argentina is going to be tough. I think our biggest loss has been against Argentina since we’ve been together in 2018. We’re just building our game and trying to improve, and I think the result against Wales was another step,” he said.

With an unbeaten home campaign behind them and encouraging signs of improvement across several facets of their game, the Springboks will now look to maintain that momentum on the road before renewing one of rugby’s greatest rivalries against New Zealand.