'They were burning flags and now they are picking teams' - Rassie Erasmus

With a quarter final meeting with hosts France looming large, Springboks director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus has spoken about the task at hand, dealings with referees, and Antoine Dupont.

The Springboks usually release their team early in the week, but have this week opted to take their time. Erasmus says they are keeping their options open.

“We have been mixing and matching for the last year and making sure almost in every single position that we can have someone just as good, in some cases we are not even sure who is the best. Keeping our options open for a seven-one, a six-two or a five-three with both Handre [Pollard] and Manie [Libbok] being available. There is nobody with an injury, Lukhanyo [Am] is fully fit. We sort of have made up our mind but we’re in between at this stage.

“Tomorrow internally we will confirm that. I think having everybody available and seeing what the French team look like, that may have an influence on us going seven-one or a six-two.

“I think it would be a difficult situation if we only had two nines and one is injured. We don’t have any injuries currently, everyone is fit. We can pick from Lukhanyo right through to Vincent Koch, everyone is available. We are very fortunate and that is why we haven’t quite decided seven-one, six-two. It’s tough to announce the team.

“At the end of the day we are all going to lift the trophy. Not just as 33 players but with 22 management that’s 55 people. After we internally sort out everything, players just accept even if we picked the team and we make a mistake here or there. I know South Africans are having a lot of opinions which is great, I don’t think they were in 2017 or 2016. I think they were burning flags and now they are picking teams and they are worried about us and we love that. We enjoy the position we are currently in.”

He says that the controversy surrounding the use of the Springbok flag has not disrupted their focus and they would be fine either way. He also confirmed which kit the Boks would be donning.

“First thing is, even if it went the other way, obviously the ideal is the way it is going now that is suspended for a while and we can concentrate on playing for South Africa. We can confirm we are also wearing our usual green and gold jersey. So even if it went the other way the boys are totally focused on the match. Whatever happened we knew we were going to represent South Africa but it is good to hear it is in a way sorted out.”

The much talked about traffic light system has upset some fans and pundits, but Erasmus explained, again, that it’s simply about easier communication.

“The traffic light system has basically four different meanings and it changes every game. Sometimes you can say over the microphone listen they’re green and that means something or the physios and doctors. we et live updates of the players, when we makes substitutions we sometimes want info back from the physio and S&C coaches. What they think, which player is the least effective or dynamic and when we do substitutions we need information. Some people think it’s kicks, other people think it’s play slower, other people think it’s kick wide but for us it is just a way of communication.

“In the first game, I was sitting on the bench with the bench players. A very nice match commissioner said I couldn’t sit there. I said I didn’t know, I don’t want to cause trouble but I have sat here for all the other matches. He said to me no, it was an addendum to the participation agreement.

“In the match I had to move up to the coaches and that is when we started putting on the lights as I couldn’t talk to the medical staff. So it’s really just a form of a communication, to get messages to players but to know what medical and S&C staff are thinking.”

While discipline has at times been an issue for Springbok teams of the past, the 2019 World Cup winning coach has been pleased that South Africa have not received any red cards or suspensions thus far. He also appreciates a better level of communication these days, due in part to reaching out to a former Test rugby refereeing legend.

“For us the first word is respect. I think definitely we got it wrong in stages especially when we had the year off with Covid and we went into the Lions series. The levels of communication was really tough and was really, even when we played our 100th game against New Zealand we were in a bubble in Australia. world rugby couldn’t be there and the Lions series they couldn’t be there because of Covid. So it was tough to get better and better communication and I guess on both sides it led to frustration.

“Last year I had a phone call with [former referee] Nigel Owens and I said ‘we really want to get this right, we don’t want people not to like us. That is not the reason for us, maybe sometimes having differences and doing things in a way just to get a response.’ We wanted to know how things worked and I must say what we learned from that conversations is that no matter if we are right the respect you show to the referee you will get back from that referee, even if he makes mistakes or you make mistakes.

“We also had to adapt our game a little bit. If you only rely on maul, it is difficult to referee a maul. If you only rely on a scrum, it’s difficult to referee a scrum. I’ll be honest with you, there was one tweet I tweeted especially after the France game [in 2022], I was quite honest and serious about it. We had to change our game to make it easier for referees. So it’s not always this [crunch] thing to work out who is or isn’t dominate. That there is also free flowing passes and open tries which was a really honest. Guys also worked hard on level change [on tackles].

“So yes no cards, I think we are fourth lowest for penalty count. We had to earn it back, we had to earn the respect back and I think it is showing at this stage that it works both ways.”

When reflecting on last year’s match against France and the buzz in the crowd, Erasmus can’t wait for Sunday.

“It was a fantastic experience. I was sat with the reserves. When we got the red card on Pieter-Steph Du Toit it was actually one of the matches that we have lost that I felt almost the most proud in the dressing room afterwards with how players made plans. Actually enjoyed, with all the respect to the French crowd it was an unbelievable experience. You can’t even hear what they sing sometimes or whistling or what they are doing but you can feel it’s buzzing and they are enjoying it. There’s pressure on us and there’s pressure on their own players for expectations, the referee is under pressure with [decisions]. The crowd are really exciting.

“For us to get that red card, I know they also got one a little later. To be in that game until the last three or four minutes definitely helped us, well I hope help us for Sunday. We have a lot of players [in the squad now] was involved then. I must say the best thing out of that, out of my whole rugby and coaching career it was one of the most intensive and delightful situations to be in and I’m pretty sure Sunday is going to be the same.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

1

Draws

0

Wins

4

Average Points scored

23

27

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

40%

Speculation is rife that France’s captain and star player Antoine Dupont could be ready to play in the quarter final after recovering from surgery.

“I think a lack of fitness won’t be a problem with him. I have actually never seen him sweat on the field, he’s so emotionless when he plays. He always look so in control, obviously him being the captain. The whole country of France, the whole world has respect for him. I broke my jaw three times and you can actually get leaner because you can’t eat [as well]. The next thing is you can run, he is definitely a guy that who is not afraid to tackle, he’s a guy whose kicking and passing is still [good]. he’s a guy when he goes into a Test match he’ll still do his tackles because it has been three weeks, his surgeon cleared him. I have no doubt he will play and will be a big challenge for us to try and contain.”

The World Champions face France at the Stade de France on Sunday, 15 October at 21:00 local time.

Knockout

11 - 12

Final

6 - 44

SF1

15 - 16

SF2

17 - 29

QF1

24 - 28

QF2

30 - 24

QF3

28 - 29

QF4