FAILURE TO ADAPT
TACTICS: RASSIE LAMENTS BOKS’ INABILITY TO CHANGE
‘Wales were good with their kicking game and solid in defence,’ said Erasmus.
Rudolph Jacobs
Their failure to change tactics on the field has been singled out by coach Rassie Erasmus as one of the big reasons for the Springboks’ 20-11 defeat to Wales in Cardiff at the weekend.
With the tourists overdoing the box-kick madness, the Welsh side picked up their fourthstraight win over the Boks and handed them their second defeat of a four-match tour, as well as a seventh defeat in 14 Tests this year.
“They came with no surprises and we knew exactly what they were going to do, but I felt we didn’t adjust our plan like we should have,” Erasmus said.
“Wales were good with their kicking game and solid in defence, and although we created opportunities, our finishing and discipline let us down.”
Wales led 14-3 at halftime after scoring two tries gifted by defensive mistakes by hooker Malcolm Marx and wing Aphiwe Dyantyi, while the Boks scored their only try in the 55th minute through centre Jesse Kriel.
The Boks had opened their endof-year tour with a 12-11 loss to England, but followed it up with last-minute wins against France (29-26) and Scotland (26-20).
Erasmus believed their latest defeat was created by a Welsh team who suffocated the Boks with their relentless defence.
“Today was perhaps the first time that I felt we were outplayed after we were always in with a chance in all our other games,” Erasmus said after Saturday’s clash.
The Boks suffered two crucial setbacks before and during the game.
First, wing Sbu Nkosi injured his knee during the warm-up and was replaced by Cheslin Kolbe, with Damian Willemse coming on to the bench.
Then, just 12 min into the match, lock RG Snyman picked up a leg injury and was replaced by Eben Etzebeth, who missed the Tests against France and Scotland with a foot injury.
Meanwhile, several members of the Bok squad were set to remain behind in London, in order to prepare for the Barbarians’ match against Argentina at Twickenham this weekend, with Erasmus coaching the invitation side.
Argentina lost all three of their games in November, falling to Ireland (28-7), France (28-14) and Scotland (14-9).
Already on board for the Barbarians were South Africans Handre Pollard, Etzebeth and Schalk Brits, as well as Argentina’s Juan Manuel Leguizamon and former Bok lock Flip van der Merwe, with Erasmus expected to confirm the rest of his squad today.
With their Welsh opponents allowing them little on defence, the Springboks crashed to their seventh defeat of the year in their final Test of the season, going down 20-11 on Saturday. They did not lead once in the game, while ill discipline at the collisions cost them dearly.