VIDEO: Rassie on why the Boks missed Willie

SPOTLIGHT: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that his team’s attacking game against Ireland in Durban fell flat after Willie le Roux was forced to leave the field.

Le Roux was left dazed in the second minute of the second Test at Kings Park following a tackle on James Lowe and was taken off the field for an HIA.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu came on at fullback and stayed on the field for the remainder of the match.

After overcoming some nerves, the young Stormers utility back showed his class in the second half with some eye-catching runs and good decision-making around the park.

However, the Springboks failed to score a try in the 24-25 defeat with Handre Pollard scoring all his team’s points with eight penalty goals.

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“Willie might not be the youngest or fastest, but he has vision and feel for the game,” said Erasmus.

“He is definitely somebody who links the two wings and the centres very well with each other.

“It’s sad to lose, it is not nice. A lot of fans are disappointed as well.

“But what I will say is that Sacha will take that experience against a team well-organised team and use it going forward.

“When guys like Gazza [Damian Willemse] and Canan [Moodie] come back it’s going to be really interesting to see how they fight for those different spots.”

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Focusing on Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s performance, Erasmus added: “When Willie is there our attack functions a bit better, but Sacha definitely brings something else to the game.

“It is individual brilliance and it’s not always structural stuff.

“He certainly did not look out of his place in only his third game.

“Next week we’ve got to pick a totally different team [against Portugal].

“That team has been announced internally. The boys who played here [at Kings Park] will help them until Wednesday to prepare for that game and then they will have a 10-day break.”

@rugby365com