'Won't win World Cups like that': Rassie Erasmus on the Andre Esterhuizen red card

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus will look at the side’s discipline in the aftermath of the 64-21 win over Portugal in Bloemfontein.

After receiving three yellow cards, one of which was upgraded to red following a TMO review, Erasmus immediately put the focus on discipline in his post-match review.

“I think our discipline is already something that we need to look at,” Erasmus told media.

“To get a red card so early, two minutes in the game, obviously won’t win World Cups like that. And another three yellow cards, so yeah, everything.”

Returning midfielder Andre Esterhuizen was sin binned after just two minutes for a pressure tackle on Portugese centre Jose Lima.

The contact was deemed to have met the red card threshold and Esterhuizen did not return to the field.

Andre Esterhuizen's tackle. #RSAvPOR pic.twitter.com/xM7PcJEnts

— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) July 20, 2024

Right winger Kurt-Lee Arendse was yellow-carded for a crocodile roll on a Portugal fullback Simao Bento in the 33rd minute, while Quan Horn was yellow carded for taking the legs out of a player in the air.

Erasmus was clear to point out these mistakes, accidents that came from execution errors despite the coaches efforts to change the tackle heights and protecting jumpers in the air.

“I definitely think it is accidents. You know, it’s not something on purpose,” he said.

“We really train level-change, minding players in the air, you can’t really tell that player it was on purpose. It was an accident.”

Despite going down to 13 players during both yellow cards, the Springboks handsomely continued their dominant showing by routing Portugal with 10 tries.

Erasmus explained that the Springboks line-up was as strong as the one that faced Ireland in Durban and credited Portugal with the effort they showed.

“I can tell you that this team that we picked today, would give the team that played last week against Ireland a go,” Erasmus said.

“I’m saying it honestly, I don’t care if people go into the ‘A’ or ‘B’ side debate. I’m telling you that there is no difference.

“So for a team like Portugal to come here at altitude, people forget that, just their ‘hanging in there’ [attitude]. I spoke to their coach afterwards, he’s not down about it, he’s excited. This is what they need.

“And we are happy to have that. We can blood youngsters against them but still it is a tough match.

“We learned that we can play with 14 men. We had to make plans from the field, that’s a nice experience.

“But overall, the scoreline, once you forget that, and look at the way they really tried and the effort they really put out there.

“At half-time, we weren’t comfortable. We still knew we had a lot of work to do.”