Rassie sounds note of caution

Rudolph Jacobs

There could have been no better remedy to resurrect a struggling season than an unlikely win over the seemingly invincible All Blacks on their home turf, and the Springboks’ performance in Wellington on Saturday has given the rugby world a shake.

Coach Rassie Erasmus (below) described their 36-34 Rugby Championship victory over New Zealand as the highlight of his coaching career, though he admitted the Boks had a bit of luck.

The win put his career firmly back on track, with the national side picking up a fourth win in eight Tests with Erasmus at the helm, after he had suggested he would step down if they lost.

The real challenge now, however, was to ensure this was not a once-off performance.

“The boys showed guts and I’m so glad for them,” Erasmus said.

“It’s also fantastic to give hope to all the die-hard supporters.

“We will take this win over the best team in the world and enjoy it, but we will keep our feet firmly on the ground.”

The victorious squad arrived home yesterday, ahead of their Test against Australia in Port Elizabeth next week, with injury concerns over the shoulder injuries of both centres Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am.

The Boks made 220 tackles against just 47, and they had just 21% territory and 25% possession, but they still scored their most points ever on Kiwi soil.

Erasmus, however, said the All Blacks set the benchmark in world rugby, despite being handed their first defeat to the Boks on home soil since 2009.

The Bok coach also believed the loss would not have gone down well with the All Blacks, which set the stage for a massive Test at Loftus Versfeld next month.

“We will not get ahead of ourselves, as we still have a lot of work to do, and the All Blacks will be fuming,” Erasmus said.

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