VIDEO: Emotional France are dangerous
PARIS, FRANCE: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and scrumhalf Cobus Reinach have both rewatched the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal this week as they prepare for the highly anticipated clash in Paris on Saturday evening.
On Thursday, following the team announcement, both of them mentioned that they had rewatched the match this week, although Erasmus noted he only revisited the final seven minutes of that highly controversial win over Les Bleus.
“Yes, I did watch it and found it very motivating,” the No.9 confirmed.
Having spent five years in France, where he played for Montpellier, Reinach has intimate knowledge of the Top 14.
When he moved to Montpellier from Northampton Saints in 2020, he joined a host of South Africans at the Top 14 club. Handre Pollard, Bismarck du Plessis, Paul Willemse, Jan Serfontein, Johan Goosen, and Jacques du Plessis were all plying their trade in the south of France.
Having that experience will be very handy against the fired-up Les Bleus on Saturday.
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“It takes you out of your comfort zone, it makes you grow as a player and a person. You have to figure out what the guys are saying on the field and react on the spot.
“And that shows how the French play. They are very instinctive, and all the flair comes out, and it’s because they just react to a situation in front of them, and they go.
“It teaches you how to do that, but it also teaches you how to stay vigilant when you come up against it.
“One thing I have learned about the French is that their culture is very emotional, and that is something we know they are going to come out with.
“With 2023 and all of the history behind us now, the emotion is going to be there, and the French with emotion are dangerous.
“It is something we have to stop, and stop early,” the nuggety scrumhalf predicted.
He added that is will be very confronting for the Springboks.
“It’s in a stadium that’s like a pressure cooker. Their team against our team, the plan, and then the pressure cooker. So we are going to see who can handle the pressure the best.”
