‘You Can Get A Hiding’: Why Rassie Refuses To Look Past Los Pumas Before All Blacks Series

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has outlined the balancing act facing his coaching team as South Africa prepares for its upcoming Test against Argentina, stressing that while every match is approached with the intention of winning, the broader objective of building towards the Rugby World Cup remains firmly in focus.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, Erasmus said the clash against Los Pumas represents more than just another Test. It is the Springboks’ final fixture before embarking on their highly anticipated four-Test series against New Zealand, making it a vital opportunity to assess players and fine-tune plans for the future.

“We would like to win every Test match that we play,” Erasmus said. “We plan to win, and I think every other team in the world is like that. We want to pick a team to try and beat Argentina, but then there’s a much bigger plan geared towards the World Cup in the background.”

The Springbok coach explained that the management must continually evaluate the squad as they work towards identifying the players who will eventually make up the World Cup group.

“You must start making plans to make sure you know what your World Cup squad looks like,” he said.

Beyond the World Cup, Erasmus also highlighted the importance of the Nations Championship, saying every competition deserves full respect while fitting into the Springboks’ long-term strategy.

“You have to respect the team that you play next week, which is Argentina, and then you play the Greatest Rivalry series after that.”

He described the four-match series against New Zealand as one of rugby’s toughest assignments, expecting a fiercely contested battle rather than a one-sided affair.

“We are fairly confident that we know 100% how tough the New Zealand tour is going to be for both teams. A four-Test match series is long.”

Erasmus believes momentum will play a decisive role throughout the series.

“I think you want to keep building during the series. I don’t think any of us think the other team is going to beat us 4-0. It’s going to be much tougher than that.”

Before shifting their attention to New Zealand, however, the Springboks are fully aware of the challenge Argentina will present.

While much of the focus is already beginning to turn towards the All Blacks series, Erasmus insisted his side cannot afford to underestimate Los Pumas.

“We’ve learnt our lessons many times against Argentina. If you take your foot off the pedal, you can get a hiding there, and we certainly want to try and prevent that,” warned the Springbok tactician.

Reflecting on Argentina’s recent performances in the Nations Championship, Erasmus acknowledged that Los Pumas, like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, often need time to regain momentum after the lengthy break between international windows.

“I think ourselves, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia, in a strange way, always have that problem where we struggle to find our feet in our first match. All of us last played in November,” explained the two-time World Cup-winning coach.

He noted that Argentina faces unique challenges compared to South Africa, particularly because its players are spread across clubs around the world, limiting opportunities for alignment camps.

“I think Argentina’s big thing is that, unlike us, who can always get into alignment camps and stuff, they normally don’t have that.”

Despite mixed results, Erasmus believes Argentina has shown encouraging signs, particularly in its narrow defeat to England.

“Their last match against England could have gone either way. You could see them building momentum, and it’s like that every year for them because it takes time after the November series.”

Although Argentina has selected several uncapped and inexperienced players, Erasmus warned against underestimating the visitors.

“I’ve seen them pick their squad with 10 rookies, but if you look at their first-choice team compared to who we’re taking over there, they will definitely have more caps than our players.”

He believes Argentina’s strength lies in its experienced core, which provides stability despite the introduction of fresh talent.

“Although they picked a largely inexperienced group, there are about 15 guys that are really experienced who they can fall back on, which will form their spine.”

As the Springboks continue another demanding stretch of international rugby, Erasmus has made it clear that the world champions are determined to strike the right balance between winning in the present and building for the future.

The challenge against Argentina will provide another important measure of both objectives.