Boks coach: Beat the All Blacks or I’m out
Rassie Erasmus’ tenure as Springboks coach could be over by Sunday.
Not that he’s losing any sleep over his future at the helm.
The pressure is mounting following back-to-back defeats against Argentina and Australia, to the point where Erasmus said South Africa might have to beat the All Blacks in Wellington in order to keep his job beyond the Rugby Championship.
But the Springboks have not beaten the All Blacks on New Zealand soil since their 32-29 win in 2009, so it’s an almighty task ahead.
‘‘If we can beat the All Blacks here then everybody will think we have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup next year and if we do really well here people would say there’s growth. But if we do really bad then I will probably not be in the seat for the next couple of matches and somebody else will probably be there,’’ Erasmus said.
Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby, signed a sixyear contract as Springboks coach earlier this year, taking him through to the next two World Cup campaigns.
However, he said that longterm contract did not make him invincible.
‘‘If you follow South African rugby, the six-year contract means nothing if you’re not performing. I think it’s more a sense of our leadership saying listen here, think a little bit longterm, don’t just think crisis management, get through this week and get through the next week.
‘‘I don’t think like that. I know people will say ‘you must think like that’ but if you think like that then you will never build a squad that will be competitive. The only thing that six-year contract tells me is not to think about next week, think about the World Cup and the 2023 World Cup as well.’’
Despite their recent run of poor results, winning just three of their seven tests in 2018, Erasmus urged South African supporters to be patient. He said it was crucial to the long-term success of the Springboks to blood new talent, even if it meant throwing them to the wolves in the ‘‘ultimate test’’ – taking on the All Blacks away from home.
‘‘My honest thing that I want to get right is I want to see growth and I want us to be contenders next year. By doing that you’re always going to upset supporters, board members and people. But that’s besides the point, as long as this team is growing.
‘‘If I’m moving on and the players are staying here, whoever comes in comes in with a squad that is more developed.
‘‘But obviously beating New Zealand in New Zealand is the thing that will give you massive confidence.
‘‘I’m 100 per cent a realist and a South African fan. I want South Africa to become what they were.
‘‘I want us to be back there and if me doing what I’m currently doing is bringing that back and I’m not part of us going forward, I will sleep easy at night because I’m part in changing that. I love the Springboks, I played 39 times for them and I want them to be where they were.’’
Erasmus confirmed the Springboks will be without Makazole Mapimpi for Saturday’s test.
The wing has not recovered from the injury he suffered against the Wallabies last weekend and has returned home to South Africa for further treatment.
Erasmus said Mapimpi would not be replaced because Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux and Jesse Kriel already provide sufficient cover.
‘‘We’ve got quite a few options and I don’t think it would be worth flying someone straight in, arriving Wednesday and training with us once or twice. That person would only be a back-up so we’d rather cover it in the squad [with someone who is] familiar with what we’re trying to do.’’