Lions actually started bomb squad trend

It’s a topic of discussion that is not going away anytime soon. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus recently had the entire rugby world talking with his six-two split on the bench in the World Cup final, which eventually had just about everyone joining the debate on whether it would become a trend.

Alternatively, it has been argued that the number of substitutes on the bench should be reduced.

It was not a grey area which Erasmus exploited, however, and every team could have used the option, so the notion that it gave the Boks an unfair advantage is simply ridiculous.

Instead, Erasmus showed that he was a step ahead of the rest.

It was, to be fair, the Lions who started the trend by using the same approach in the Super Rugby competition, first when Johan Ackermann was head coach and later when Swys de Bruin took over from him.

The Lions would often load their bench to make a big impact in the second half, and on numerous occasions they did not even name a replacement scrumhalf on the bench, as they felt fullback Andries Coetzee could also be a back-up in that position if needed.

The scenario created an opportunity to be able to field an extra forward on the bench, with players like Kwagga Smith or Hacjivah Dayimani capable of being deployed on the wing if necessary.

Nowadays, coaches prefer to look at their bench players as impact players and not as replacements or reserves. While injuries are part and parcel of the game, it is rare that all bench players are required for this reason, and it has become a tactical battle in which a team with a better bench can land a killer blow in the crucial final quarter of a game.

Erasmus, of course, took a calculated gamble by naming only scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and utility back Frans Steyn as his backs on the bench for the World Cup final, but then Steyn could cover every position in the backline from No 10 to 15.

Erasmus also stated that brilliant blindside flank Pieter-Steph du Toit could be utilised on the wing in an emergency at any given time.

It allowed Erasmus to name five locks in his match-23, with Lood de Jager and Eben Etzebeth starting as locks, Du Toit starting on the flank, while Franco Mostert and RG Snyman were named on the substitutes bench.

It was a master stroke which resulted in the Boks having proper back-up on the bench in the trophy decider against England in Tokyo on November 2,