Durban — SA Rugby Director Rassie Erasmus has released a video of part of his debrief to the Springbok squad following the end of their series win over Wales.
Erasmus reiterates to the players that the whole idea of making 14 changes to the starting team for the second Test was for the coaching staff to learn more about each player in the 42-man squad in the white-hot heat of a Test match that mattered (as opposed to a possible dead-rubber third Test), and for them to be ranked by himself and head coach Jacques Nienaber.
Erasmus then tells the players to not get downhearted if they do not have the ranking they would prefer and to work hard on what they need to in order to improve their ranking.
It hurts so bad when losing a Test, but what we learned about the players and their character under trying circumstances with a little over a year to the RWC was invaluable. “Its never fun getting a loss next to your team in a Test match. Its really not lekka!” pic.twitter.com/Rc1Wfi6o0V
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) July 18, 2022
Erasmus and Nienaber have been under fire for controversially changing the team for the Bloemfontein Test match after having gone 1-0 up in Pretoria.
Some former Springboks, including Schalk Burger Senior, have accused the Bok coaches of cheapening the Springbok jersey. Burger Snr tweeted that Erasmus had sacrificed a proud Springbok record of never having lost to Wales in South Africa.
Nienaber then reverted to the team that won the first Test and the Boks smashed the Welsh 30-14 in the decider in Cape Town at the weekend.
The Boks now turn their attention to the under-pressure All Blacks, who arrive in the country shortly for two Rugby Championship Tests – on August 6 in Nelspruit and a week later at Ellis Park.
Quite obviously the Boks will field their strongest possible teams for those matches!
IOL Sport