Boks lost Test by default
The Test between the Bokke and the All Blacks was great to watch.
However, it was lost by default. Why default?
Coach Rassie Erasmus had to default and bring on the quota players in the last 12 minutes of the Test or feel the wrath of the minister of sport.
Off the bench comes Sikhumbuzo Notshe and replaces Francois Louw at No 8, and the immediate result is a blind side break by the All Blacks, which is then converted for a goal.
Then we have Malcolm Marx going off (man of the match, no less) and on comes Bongi Mbonambi.
At the same time off goes Faf de Klerk (who had a blinder) and on comes Embrose Papier.
He was followed by Damian Willemse at full back and off came Willie le Roux, who also had a great game.
Four bench players were in my opinion “given” a game to please the quota system and that is why I say the Springboks lost by default.
In his after-match interview Erasmus said Le Roux came off because of suspected concussion, yet there was no stoppage while he was examined.
With the Test still in the balance why did Erasmus not move Handrè Pollard to fullback and Elton Jantjies to flyhalf?
Instead he puts on Willemse, who has played only 10 minutes in only one Test before this.
Erasmus also said De Klerk came off because he was startblamed ing to cramp, yet there was once again no sign of him receiving any form of medial attention.
Former referee Jonathan Kaplan wrote, “You do not clear the bench before the game is safe.”
And with the All Blacks it is not safe until the final whistle blows.
Between them Notshe, Papier and Willemse did not have more than seven minutes each in Test match experience.
To bring them off the bench when you are playing against the All Blacks was sheer lunacy.
I feel very sorry for Erasmus because he is between a rock and a hard place with the minister of sport screaming for a 50% quota ratio and he really has no other choice.
This was a loss by default by quota.
Politics and rugby do not mix.