Rassie embraces underdog tag after All Blacks hammering
REACTION: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted his side “got a hiding” from the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday but insisted the four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is a long way from over as South Africa heads to Cape Town needing three consecutive victories to reclaim the trophy.
The defeat handed New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the series and strengthened their claim as the world’s top-ranked team, but Erasmus said the Springboks have been in this position before and are determined to respond.
“It’s nice now to go into the next game as the underdogs,” Erasmus said with a grin after the match. “It feels different.”
The Springbok coach conceded the scoreline was difficult to swallow, even if he believed the contest was closer than the final margin suggested for much of the game.
“The scoreboard is ugly – it isn’t lekker to lose like that,” he said.
“We didn’t get the points when we needed to, and they were clinical when they got their opportunities.”
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Scrum decision proved costly
Erasmus identified a pivotal moment midway through the second half, when the Springboks opted for a scrum instead of taking three points after repeatedly dominating New Zealand in the set-piece.
Instead, the momentum shifted when replacement loosehead Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised at the ensuing scrum
Instead, the momentum shifted when replacement loosehead Gerhard Steenekamp was penalised at the ensuing scrum.
“Perhaps we should have taken the three points in front of the posts,” Erasmus said.
“We would have been level then and we had dominance in the scrums.”
Rather than criticising the All Blacks, Erasmus said New Zealand deserved full credit for punishing South Africa’s mistakes.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to sit here and say there was anything poor about the All Blacks, because you get a hiding like this.
“You get soundly beaten by a team that is probably now number one in the world.”
The Springboks now face a daunting task in the remaining three Tests, beginning in Cape Town next weekend.
“We are now in a position where, if we want to win the series, we have to win three games on the trot,” Erasmus said.
“Without a doubt, the win put them in a very good position, which they thoroughly deserve.
“We have to go to Cape Town and try to win there to level the series, but we still have to win three matches in a row.
“I wouldn’t say it’s catastrophic because there’s a way out, and that’s winning three matches on the trot.”
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Fans have every right to be disappointed
Erasmus acknowledged that Springbok supporters would be frustrated by the result, saying there was no hiding from the scoreboard.
“Most teams lose a game or two here and there and if we lose, it is natural for our fans to be unhappy,” he said.
“We understand it was a terrible performance on the scoreboard, but the scoreboard is what counts.
“We can talk a lot about a lot of things, but we know we need to be better.”
Drawing on his experience across 106 Springbok matches, Erasmus said the team has recovered from setbacks before, including the British & Irish Lions series and the 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign.
“I’ve been involved in the Springboks now for 106 games, and we have been in a position like this before.
“We need to find a way back against a very good New Zealand team.”
The Springboks now have little time to dwell on the defeat. The All Blacks face the Lions in a tour fixture at Ellis Park on Tuesday before the rivalry shifts to Cape Town Stadium next Saturday for a must-win second Test for South Africa.
