ON BORROWED TIME
ERASMUS: SA RUGBY COULD BE SHARPENING SWORDS
Big defeat against All Blacks likely to be the end of the road.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus believes he will reach the crossroads of his stint in the hot seat if his side doesn’t get the required result in their Rugby Championship clash against New Zealand this weekend in Wellington.
While the thought of the Boks actually winning this weekend might be far-fetched after their 23-18 loss to Australia in Brisbane, Erasmus said a big defeat against the Kiwis could mean he might have to fall on his sword.
“If we do really badly here, then I will probably not be in the seat for the next couple of matches, making way for someone else,” he said, according to SA Rugby magazine.
Erasmus said that in the unlikely event of them actually beating the All Blacks, everybody will think they have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup next year and if they can at least manage to do really well, people would say there’s growth.
“But this weekend is probably about just for me to survive, so it’s very important. But that’s also totally beside the point, for me to survive as it’s rather about the team,” Erasmus said.
He added while he is only in his first year of a six-year contract, the contract means very little if the results are not forthcoming.
“If you follow South African rugby, the six-year contract means nothing if you’re not performing,” he said.
“I think it’s more about thinking a little bit long-term, don’t just think crisis management, get through this week and get through the next week.”
Meanwhile, no replacement will be called for injured wing Makazole Mapimpi who returned to South Africa yesterday after injuring his knee last weekend.
“If we call up someone in his place, he will only arrive here on Wednesday (tomorrow) and have one training session with us,” explained Erasmus.
The coach said they have Cheslin Kolbe with them who played a full second half against the Aussies on the wing.
“But we have some other options as well such as Jesse Kriel and even Lukhanyo Am, who has played some rugby out on the wing,” added Erasmus.
“We will try and pick the most experienced side for this match, with the least amount of changes.”