VIDEO: Rassie's response to 'loaded question'
Planned, not panic!
This was Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ reaction to questions, after he made seven changes ahead of the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.
The rash of changes comes after South Africa lost 17-24 to New Zealand in a Round Three Rugby Championship encounter in Auckland this past weekend.
In an all-new back, Ethan Hooker will earn his first start in the Green and Gold.
Other backline changes include scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu pairing up at halfback, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie in the midfield, Hooker and Cheslin Kolbe on the wings, and Aphelele Fassi at fullback.
Up front, Kolisi returns to flank along with Pieter-Steph du Toit, while No.8 Jasper Wiese will return to the field for the first time since facing Italy in the July Tests, after serving his four-match suspension.
The only other change in the pack is at lock, where Lood de Jager will pack down next to Ruan Nortje.
The absence of a host of senior players – like double World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth, Willie le Roux, Jesse Kriel (last week’s captain), Damian de Allende and Handre Pollard – was both pre-planned and a reaction to last week’s horror show at Eden Park.
Erasmus admitted he had planned to make ‘some’ changes from Auckland to Wellington, win or lose.
(WATCH as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus explains the seven changes he made ahead of the return fixture against the All Blacks…..)
“Not a lot of players get the opportunity to play in New Zealand,” he said, adding that next year South Africa will host New Zealand, so the next opportunity to face the All Blacks in Aotearoa will be the World Cup year, 2027.
“The plan was to win and give some players the experience of the pressure of playing the top-ranked team in the world,” the Bok coach said.
“Maybe not so many, but we would have made changes.”
Asked if some players forced his hand with their performances in Auckland, Erasmus responded by saying: “It is a very loaded question.
“So, if I say yes, you are probably going to ask who.”
He admitted that it wasn’t the best day at the office for the entire team.
“We know that a lot of guys that didn’t play well,” Erasmus said, adding: “There’s a lot of coaches who didn’t coach well last week, including myself.”
The coach likened the loss to their World Cup pool reverse Ireland pool match, where they also came from behind and were within one score of a win.
“To answer your question, I thought the guys that came on brought a lot of energy and brought a lot of fight.
“After 15 minutes, we were 0-14 down. And then they [All Blacks] only scored another 10 points.
“That is irrelevant, because we still lost the game, and that’s the bottom line.
“However, I do think the energy that the guys who came on [brought], maybe changed my mind.
“We want to get some energetic guys onto the field who have never played here [in New Zealand] before.
“If we win this game, we’re back in the Rugby Championship mix and we’re still alright in the world rankings.
“So it’s a bit of both.
“Some players, like some coaches, disappointed.
“However, I don’t think it was through a lack of effort.”
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