Erasmus evaluates Springboks ahead of Argentina clash

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus evaluated his team following a 43-0 victory over Wales in a Nations Championship match, held in Durban on Saturday. After the match, Erasmus expressed satisfaction with the performance and turned his attention to the upcoming assignment against Argentina, scheduled for two weeks later.

Erasmus highlighted the significance of the win, stating, "To get 43 points and to keep them to nil – we’re satisfied with that." He noted that the result was an improvement from the previous week, particularly defensively. "Forty-three-nil was definitely better than last week – certainly defensively – but it’s easier to defend on a wet field like that, and we had no injuries, so that’s good," he added.

The coach mentioned that a squad of 26 players would travel to South America, while a group of 15 or 16 would remain behind with some coaches. This latter group will prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand, expected to resume in August and September.

Erasmus acknowledged the challenges posed by the weather conditions during the match, saying, "The conditions were deceptively difficult, which led to a succession of handling errors." He remarked, "We saw world-class players make a few knocks-on in this game. The field is really slippery, and you could feel it in the warm-up – that it was really greasy."

Despite the slippery conditions, Erasmus praised his team for not losing any lineout ball and noted improvements in the scrums and mauls from the previous week’s performance.

The Springbok defense showed marked improvement, and Erasmus felt that many players had managed to cope better with the pressures of test match rugby compared to prior games. He remarked, "I think a lot of guys came through this test with ticks against their name."

Among these players was Vusi Moyo, who at 20 years and 27 days became the youngest flyhalf in Springbok history. Erasmus commented positively on Moyo’s performance but acknowledged the nerves that come with his debut in front of a large crowd. "He definitely played well. You could see there were nerves. He’s a really accurate kicker... I thought he handled it extremely well."

Looking ahead, Erasmus confirmed that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu would participate in the Argentina tour, although he noted that Handre Pollard had sustained a hamstring injury. "Argentina is going to be tough – like Wales they’ve had our number a few times," he remarked, highlighting the importance of continuing to build their game.