Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has admitted the enormity of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener against the All Blacks is weighing heavily on both teams.
With the Boks and All Blacks preparing to meet at Ellis Park, Erasmus revealed that the nerves are already kicking in inside the South African camp.
“As I’m sitting here, I’m nervous. He [Damian Willemse sitting next to him] is nervous, the whole team is nervous and I guess the supporters are nervous,” Erasmus said after naming the Bok team on Thursday.
“But I’m pretty sure it’s the same on the other side too.
“We may look calm, we can speak in a way that it looks like we’re 100% in control, but it’s massive.”
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While the emotional stakes are obvious, Erasmus also expects Dave Rennie’s All Blacks to bring an entirely different attacking challenge.
“They say it all the time, so it’s not a secret. They’re going to play a fast, intense game and people must try to keep up with them, and that shows in the stats,” Erasmus said.
“They have probably double the breakdowns, double the passes that they had in Razor’s [former coach Scott Robertson] era and that’s the way they want to play.
“They want to run you off your feet and make sure that they win their breakdown ball lightning quick.”
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Erasmus knows the Boks will need to disrupt that approach and impose some of their DNA when they have possession.
“These are the things that we’ll have to counter but then obviously we’ll have the ball sometimes and we have to try and imprint our attacking style on the game,” he said.
“There’ll be so many challenges in the game – I don’t think Dave can tell you who’s going to win on Saturday and I certainly can’t tell you who’s going to win on Saturday.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
The post ‘Nervous’ Rassie savouring All Blacks duel appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has admitted the enormity of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener against the All Blacks is weighing heavily on both teams.
The post ‘Nervous’ Rassie savouring All Blacks duel appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
