Rassie Erasmus says the Vodacom Bulls players have integrated well back into the Springbok set-up.
Twelve Bulls players were included in the Boks’ 46-man squad for the Nations Championship after appearing in the 36-7 Vodacom URC final defeat to Leinster in Dublin.
“It would have been lovely if they came in with the confidence of winning,” Erasmus said on Tuesday. “But I also said that if they came in disappointed, we would find a solution.”
Erasmus said the Bulls contingent were well acquainted with the national team’s systems.
“There’s not really a new guy from the Bulls who is part [of our squad]. Embrose [Papier] is probably the newest in our system, and he’s been slotting in really well.”
Papier earned all seven of his Test caps back in 2018, Erasmus’ first year as Bok coach, before finding himself in the international wilderness.
The scrumhalf is coming off a spectacular campaign with the Bulls which saw him named South Africa’s URC Player of the Season.
RASSIE: Door not closed on Bok veterans
Erasmus said the Bulls’ heavy defeat to Leinster should not overshadow the remarkable progress they had made this season.
“Getting a yellow card in the first three minutes changed the game and then you concede a few points,” he said. “But it’s not for me to talk about how the Bulls play. That’s Ackers [Johan Ackermann] and his team.
“They lost seven on the trot, then you look at what they achieved after that to get to the final. For me, that’s fantastic.
“Obviously it’s disappointing not to win it, but I think they wanted to put that behind them as quickly as possible.
“We’re playing England in 10 days’ time.”
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Photo: Lubabalo Lesolle/Gallo Images
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Rassie Erasmus said the Vodacom Bulls player had integrated well back into the Springbok set-up after the disappointment of their loss to Leinster in the Vodacom URC final.
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