Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says a strong start against the All Blacks at Ellis Park is vital, but insists the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series will not be decided on Saturday. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
The four-Test showdown kicks off at Ellis Park before clashes at Cape Town Stadium and FNB Stadium, with the final encounter taking place in Baltimore, USA.
Speaking after naming his team on Thursday, Erasmus was candid about the stakes of the opener while cautioning against reading too much into it in isolation.
“The pressure is certainly on,” he said. “It’s a massive series, and how we start is very important.”
But he was equally clear that history has taught him not to obsess over game one alone.
“We’ve learned from the British & Irish Lions series, we’ve learned from World Cup pool matches that are lost early, it’s only going to be determined in game three.”
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On team selection, Erasmus confirmed the squad had known their starting side well ahead of the public announcement, having been informed last Friday.
Erasmus reserved special praise for Damian de Allende, who is set to earn his 100th cap. He recalled first taking note of De Allende’s ability to match up physically against Sonny Bill Williams, a player Erasmus admired.
“He was one of the few guys who really could handle Sonny Bill Williams, talking attack and defence, offloads, and he’s a very physical guy,” Erasmus said, adding that De Allende’s quiet, unassuming character belies his influence in the squad.
“He never takes any praise. We’re all really proud of Damian.”
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Turning to matters of respect, Erasmus made an impassioned plea for how the South African public engage with the haka, describing it as an honour rather than something to be diminished or shouted down.
“You won’t see us doing funny tricks when they do the haka,” he said. “Since [assistant coach] Tony [Brown] has described it for us, it’s actually an honour for us to face it. It’s a very emotional, proud thing to be a part of. It’s something very powerful. It doesn’t scare us, we enjoy it.”
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Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
The post Rassie: Series not won in game one appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says a strong start against the All Blacks at Ellis Park is vital, but insists the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series will not be decided on Saturday.
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