“Flat Battery”: Why Rassie Pulled Moyo Early In Explosive Springbok Debut
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus believes debutant fly-half Vusi Moyo handled the pressure of Test rugby admirably after making his first international appearance at his home ground, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, in South Africa’s latest Test victory.
The occasion carried extra significance for Moyo, who earned his maiden Springbok cap in front of a home crowd in Durban.
Despite the obvious nerves that come with a Test debut, the young playmaker delivered a composed and assured performance before making way for the experienced Manie Libbok early in the second half.
Erasmus revealed that the decision to substitute Moyo in the 47th minute had always been part of the game plan rather than a reflection of his performance.
“If we started Manie and we were struggling, then it would be difficult to put the young guy on and ask him to change the game if we were a little bit in trouble. So the thinking was to start him rather and then see how he copes with the intensity of the game,” Erasmus explained.
The Springbok coach praised Moyo’s display, acknowledging that while the pressure of the occasion affected certain aspects of his game, the 22-year-old showed the qualities that earned him his opportunity.
“He had a bit of a flat battery when we changed him. He definitely played well. I think you could see there were nerves. He’s a really, really accurate kicker. He kicks off really well. But then you get into a Test match like this with a lot of people, even at your home ground, the ball is wet, and suddenly you don’t kick it into the corners. You don’t place your kick-offs exactly where you want them,” elaborated the World Cup-winning coach.
Erasmus added that the mental demands of Test rugby can be just as exhausting as the physical battle.
“Playing in your first or second Test match, you’re tired because the pressure gets to you. I think he handled it extremely well. Then you could see in the second half we started to go. You could see he was tired, and then we made the swap.”
The Springboks were also pleased with how they responded after another fast start, having allowed Scotland and England back into the contest in their previous two Tests.
“It was a concern, but today [Saturday] when we were there, we squeezed through, and we didn’t let them in. We managed to keep the pressure on, which was something we messed up in the first two games,” Erasmus said.
“We did it against Australia last year as well. But we fixed it in this game because it starts to creep into your mind a little: ‘Is this going to happen again?’ The communication between us and the players on the field was to stick to what we were doing, and we managed to get through it. It was almost there again, but it didn’t happen.”
Moyo’s impressive debut has been rewarded with further involvement in the national setup, with both he and Libbok named in Erasmus’ 43-man Springbok squad that will begin preparations for the Test against Argentina on 8 August as South Africa build towards Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks.
