Rassie Erasmus says there’s one aspect of the All Blacks’ game that the Springboks haven’t dealt with convincingly yet ahead of the third Test at FNB Stadium.
New Zealand’s attacking ability has been on full display in the first two Tests. Despite eventually losing the second Test in Cape Town, the visitors outscored the Boks by four tries to three in their 33-26 defeat, with Erasmus acknowledging that the All Blacks have repeatedly found ways to expose the Bok defence in the wider channels.
“They’re brilliant. It’s something that under Dave they’re doing really well,” Erasmus told the media on Monday.
“Their attack coach – I’m not sure how much influence Dave has on their attack – but they’re difficult to stop.”
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Erasmus believes the Boks handled the All Blacks’ wide attack well at times in the second Test, but conceded that New Zealand also produced moments of individual brilliance that the Springboks could not contain.
“The one was Thomas was still down and then he wasn’t in the defensive line and we couldn’t complete the lineout. The other one was just a pure missed tackle by Deon. The other two, they outplayed us and outsmarted us, and we have to be ready for that,” he said.
“So it’s an area that we must get better in.”
Erasmus pointed to the All Blacks’ ability to win one-on-one battles as a key difference.
“We had to work harder for our tries than they had to because they have one-on-one players who really just beat our guys with feet,” he said.
“Without a doubt, that’s something to focus on and something that we must fix.”
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The Boks have also made greater use of their opportunities since the first Test, with Erasmus highlighting the importance of taking points when they are available.
“They put us away last weekend by 16 points. We didn’t convert our opportunities,” he said.
“This weekend, when we had our chances, we took our three points and we scored our tries.”
With the series level at 1-1, Erasmus says he’s keen for the FNB Stadium showdown.
“It’s an exciting thing for us, first of all. We love taking it [the game] to people. I know there are a lot of people from outside who will also go there, and I’m not sure how many of the people there will be able to afford a ticket. But whenever I’ve been there, it’s a great experience. I’ve always enjoyed the vibe there.”
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Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
The post Rassie pinpoints All Blacks’ biggest weapon appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Rassie Erasmus says there’s one aspect of the All Blacks’ game that the Springboks haven’t dealt with convincingly yet ahead of the third Test at FNB Stadium.
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