Erasmus Admits 6-2 Bench Split Mistake As Springboks Target Greatest Rivalry Series Rebound
Rassie Erasmus has called for a mental shift from the Springboks as they look to respond to a disappointing opening-game defeat in the Greatest Rivalry Series, insisting the team must retain its physical edge while becoming smarter in key moments.
With the pressure mounting after the defeat, Erasmus acknowledged that South Africa find themselves with their “backs against the wall” but believes their experience of overcoming difficult starts can help them fight their way out of the situation.
“I know how our supporters feel. I know how we feel. It’s not a good position to be in,” Erasmus said.
“We know our backs are against the wall. The one thing that I can say is that we’ve been in this position many times. We’ve been together for nine years, and most of the squad has lost the first game in a series before. It helps us to know that we’ve been there before and that we can fight our way out of it,” he explained.
Rather than allowing the pressure to become a burden, Erasmus believes the Springboks need to use the situation as motivation while making rapid adjustments on the training field.
“I think it’s a mental thing, a mind shift that we must make,” he said. “We shouldn’t make a physical mindset because the physicality must stay there. But we must just be smarter.”
Erasmus was also candid about the difficulty of making the necessary changes with limited preparation time.
“I’m not saying this like it’s an easy solution. It’s a difficult solution. So, it’s something that you must sort out quickly in three training sessions.”
The Springboks coach also accepted responsibility for a tactical decision that he believes contributed to the team losing its attacking cohesion.
Erasmus admitted that, for the first time in a long while, the 6-2 bench split had backfired on South Africa.
“I don’t want to make excuses for what happened to us as a team, but I think for the first time in a long time, the 6-2 bench split backfired on us,” he said.
In hindsight, Erasmus believes a different reshuffle would have better suited the Springboks, with Grant Williams moving to the wing, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu shifting to fullback and Manie Libbok taking over at flyhalf.
“I think a better thing would have been to put Grant Williams on the wing, put Sacha at fullback and put Manie at 10,” Erasmus said.
He conceded that his decision to move Jesse Kriel to the wing instead disrupted South Africa’s attacking rhythm and had consequences defensively.
“I think I made the incorrect sub there by putting Jesse to wing, and then that disjointed the whole attack flow and obviously some of the defensive stuff,” Erasmus confessed.
For Erasmus, the immediate challenge is therefore not simply to increase intensity but to ensure the Springboks make better decisions when the pressure is at its highest.
Erasmus knows the margin for error is now smaller. However, rather than viewing their difficult position as a reason for panic, he believes the squad’s previous experience of recovering from setbacks can provide the foundation for a strong response.
