Erasmus not worried about Boks’ performance
Director of rugby believes SA has what it takes
With the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France in 10 months, there are growing concerns about the Springboks’ winning rate as it stands at 54%.
Bok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says the country does not need to panic.
This year the Springboks have played 11 matches, winning six and losing five, putting doubts over how their process is going. This season’s Test window has been an inconsistent one for the Boks; they have made strides in certain areas and also looked flat.
The two narrow losses to Ireland and France in the outgoing tour have tossed up the question of where the Boks are in their preparation for the defence of their world cup title.
Erasmus painted a picture of the state of the team.
“South Africans love winning and we fully take it on the chin when we lose and get it when people get upset. I don’t want to say we are always learning, people get tired if you say you’re learning,” said Erasmus from Italy in a virtual press briefing.
“Losing two games in a row is not great, but I think there are answers that we got from some players. We know what we can do against the Irish in a pool game, or the French or the All Blacks that we can face if we get out of our pool.
“In our supporters’ views, losing is bad but there’s some light towards the end of the tunnel if you look towards next year.”
The Boks will take on the Italians tomorrow at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at 3pm. The match will be important for midfielder André Esterhuizen, who will get a shot to prove his worth to the team.
“Some of our players won’t be available against England because it’s out of the Test window and André is one of them. He’s been with us now for the whole year and he deserves a chance,” said Bok coach Jacques Nienaber.
“We always earmarked this game, to give him a proper go. We think the combination with André and Damian de Allende is a great one when you face a side like Italy. So, we are looking forward to seeing the combination.”