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‘No disrespect’ to Wallabies: Rassie Erasmus previews All Blacks ‘challenge’

TJ Perenara of New Zealand (R) leads the haka during The Rugby Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina at Eden Park on August 17, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Following two wins over Australia, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus is anticipating “a much tougher challenge” against New Zealand when the two sides go head-to-head for the first time since last year’s Rugby World Cup Final.

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World champions South Africa couldn’t have asked for a much better start in their pursuit of the prestigious Rugby Championship crown after they claimed two convincing wins over Australia in Brisbane and Perth.

The Springboks broke their long-lasting Brisbane hoodoo with a commanding 33-7 win over the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium last week before recording another 30-12 demolition of the same foe at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday evening.

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Following the opening two rounds of the competition, the Springboks will return home to South Africa sitting in first place on The Rugby Championship ladder. Those two bonus points wins were quite stunning but it doesn’t get any easier for them moving forward.

New Zealand will soon fly to South Africa for two blockbuster Tests at Ellis Park and DHL Stadium. These two great rivals last met at Stade de France in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final which the Springboks won 12-11 against a 14-man All Blacks outfit.

Coach Rassie Erasmus explained on Saturday that with the Wallabies currently going through a rebuilding phase under Joe Schmidt, the more-settled All Blacks – who have a relatively new head coach of their own – will be harder to beat.

“I’m going to say it’s another step up just because Joe Schmidt is new in the role here and he has to find his feet and get to know all the players and the way Australian rugby works. It takes some time,” Erasmus told reporters on Saturday evening.

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“With that answer, I say yes, it will be a much tougher challenge with no disrespect (to) Australia just because Australia is where they currently are in their rebuilding phase.

“The All Blacks at the moment people (have) started to write them off. I saw last week, (that) a lot of people had a lot of stuff to say and then (the All Blacks) knuckled down and said, ‘Let’s show you guys today’ and then they put proper points against Argentina.

Match Summary

4
Penalty Goals
2
0
Tries
4
0
Conversions
2
0
Drop Goals
0
89
Carries
96
3
Line Breaks
6
12
Turnovers Lost
15
4
Turnovers Won
3

“We play them at altitude and then in Cape Town where they are probably a bit comfortable, a lot of them enjoy it there. So, a massive, almost ‘mini-series’ for us against the All Blacks. So, yes, we’re in for a tough three weeks.”

But the first meeting between the Springboks and All Blacks is still just under two weeks away. All four Rugby Championship sides have a bye week coming up which gives them an opportunity to reflect, grow and prepare for the various challenges that await.

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For South Africa, Erasmus and the other coaches can take plenty of confidence from the two wins from vastly different starting sides. The Boks made 10 changes to their starting side for the Perth Test, with many branding them a ‘B team.’

Backrower Elrigh Louw laughed it off in an interview with RugbyPass about four days out from the Test by explaining how excited they were to show everyone “what a B team can do.” It was a golden opportunity for a new crop of players to make their mark in Springbok green.

It was a bit “nerve-wracking” during the first quarter of the Test as the goal-kicking boot of Noah Lolesio kept the Wallabies in the fight. But, in very wet conditions on the west coast of Australia, the Springboks showed their class as they pulled away.

Three second-half tries for South Africa, including a double from replacement hooker Malcolm Marx, ensured the visitors would claim back-to-back wins in Australia for the first time in quite some time.

“No, it was nervous, it was nervous for me till minute 70. We were on our own goal line and conceded two penalties in a row… but then Eben (Etzebeth) and the guys buckled down and said not another penalty,” Erasmus reflected.

“So no, not just the first half was nerve-wracking, the whole game was for me.

“It was close at half-time, I also thought if those tries were scored where Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) Just had to catch the ball, then it could have been a further lead.

“Then we always had security on the bench and that’s why we sometimes pick teams like that.”

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Comments

20 Comments
Y
You Know 184 days ago

If the All Blacks contest in their scrums and rucks they might get the upper hand on the boks. That's how the Boks win, with their pack and if you cut them out of the equation then you might win.


Scott & forward coach Ryan should concentrate on the pack and forward game.

B
Bull Shark 184 days ago

Since the season started, noises coming out of NZ has been around their pack. Their front row in particular.


Boks lineouts on their own throw have been below par this RC. NZ scrums have looked good. NZ maul defence looked terrible in the first test against the Argies. So far no clear winner on the pack front on either side in my opinion.


So the Boks will need to be sharp AF. Which is why I would start with Marx, Ox and Koch.


Backline, boks look good. But meaningless if the pack doesn’t dominate. Our scrumhalf/ flyhalf options are better at the moment. I suspect that the boks will have the upper hand at Ellis Park, but the ABs will bounce back, like Ireland did on the coast in Durban, in Cape Town.


The ABs shut Argentina down very effectively on Saturday. Not sure if the weather played a role in Argentina looking so off compared to the previous week.


You’d generally give the boks and NZ a game against each other a piece each year. I think this time around the boks will take both tests. But they’ll be closer than expected. Particularly the Cape Town test.

T
Toaster 184 days ago

Rassie blowing smoke already

He knows his squad has few weaknesses and go in as hot favourites

T
Terry24 184 days ago

THe most experienced SA team of all time was comprehensively dismantled by Ireland in the first half in Durban. Thoughts?

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M
MS 3 hours ago
Why Jac Morgan is a British and Irish Lions Test starter

To be perfectly honest with you, Morgan’s stats don’t seem particularly convincing for a prospective Lions Test Match starting Seven.


He’s one of Wales’ principle carriers, and he’s effective enough in that role. But that’s not the role of a Test Match Seven. It simply isn’t.


In fact, given one of Wales’ games has been against Italy, yet Morgan has a tackle completion rate of only 85% - and worse not one single turnover to his name, if anything those stats actually spell out the reasons why Morgan SHOULDN’T be the Lions Test Seven - or even in competition for that spot.


The series will be against an Australia team keen to compete hard on the deck. The Lions will have their pick of ball carrying B/S Flankers, Eights, and Twelves. Indeed, due to the way the modern game is played even Props and Hookers in that Lions squad will be ferocious ball carrying options. So they simply do not need a dedicated carrying option off Seven.


I’m actually rather surprised the author used those stats to support his argument as that table achieves the complete opposite of the desired effect.


I’m afraid tackle completion rates alone, especially without indicating if they were single vs double tackles, or dominant, are next to useless.


I would be curious to see ‘dominant tackle’ stats, as well as tackles completed one-on-one vs as a pair. I get the impression Wales are sending two/three tacklers into the contact area each time - and even then not necessarily stopping their opponent.

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