Rassie Erasmus says expectation of wet weather and player fatigue prompted the Springboks’ last-minute front-row rejig in Saturday’s victory over the All Blacks, reports DEVIN HERMANUS.
Speaking after the final whistle in South Africa’s 33-26 win at Cape Town Stadium, which levelled the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 1-1, Erasmus explained his late selections.
Deon Fourie started at hooker in place of Malcolm Marx after Erasmus reshuffled his front row before kick-off, with props Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit also promoted to the run-on side.
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“We thought it was going to be wet, and that’s why we picked the front row [we did on Monday],” Erasmus told the media. “The whole weather prediction, the whole week was going to be wet, and we thought then we would need a heavier front row for the first half of the game.
“We were always going to use two front rows, but then, first [part] of the game, depending on the weather, it’s going to be dry. And then we thought the front row would be a little bit lighter. It would be better on the dry side.
The Bok boss also emphasised the importance of player rotation, citing veterans like skipper Siya Kolisi and Fourie – who became the oldest Springbok in history when the 39-year-old started at hooker – for managing minutes to keep the forward pack fresh.
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“For me, you know, a simple example, I know a lot of people say, why did he take Siya off? Siya’s first total minutes now are 50 minutes, and it’s in eight weeks, so he was going to get tired. That’s why we took him off.
“Deon Fourie, he’s 39 years old, he’s played 65 minutes against the All Blacks in six weeks, so he was going to get tired. And you could see he missed the tackle when they scored the one try.
“And then also, Ox in the match prior to the previous game, he played eight minutes. And then last week, he played 45 minutes. Now, in the first game, of course, he didn’t start, he played just 55 minutes.
“If the guys stay productive on the field, and they keep doing their job, then we pull it back, and we do it the moment they’re no longer productive.”
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Quizzed on the Bok changes, which included Friday’s inclusion of Cheslin Kolbe and Manie Libbok as well as Handrè Pollard’s withdrawal, All Blacks boss Dave Rennie shrugged it off. “It doesn’t worry me at all.
“They named their team on Monday. It had no bearing on the team that we named. No drama from my perspective. I guess when you name a team on Monday, there’s a chance that there are going to be changes.
“To be fair, we took minimal notice of the team on Monday because there’s a chance that it’s going to be different on Saturday. I think regardless of who they name on Monday, the game plan is going to be the same.”
Photo: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images
The post Cape weather rained on Erasmus’ plans appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Rassie Erasmus says expectation of wet weather and player fatigue prompted the Springboks’ last-minute front-row rejig in Saturday’s victory over the All Blacks.
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