VIDEO: The world's reality versus Rassie's truth
In the build-up to this past weekend’s blow-out between South Africa and New Zealand, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus urged his revamped selection to ‘fire some shots’.
And fired they did.
Unlike the previous week at Eden Park in Auckland, where the All Blacks emerged victorious (24-17), in the return fixture in Wellington, the Boks didn’t fire as many ‘shots’ across the bow.
In the Cake Tin, the Boks hit their target with almost monotonous regularity, six tries to one, with five of those coming in a 36-0 rout in the second half.
The almost relentless pre-match questioning of Erasmus’ supposed ‘gamble’ with the young backline against the battle-hardened All Blacks continued in the post-match media debrief.
In true Erasmus style, he said there is the Springboks’ reality, the opposition’s reality, the world’s reality, and then there is the truth.
“They [the All Blacks] had eight players with less than 10 caps,” Erasmus said, when he was asked for the umpteenth time about his ‘young’ backline.
In contrast, only two Boks – wing Ethan Hooker and utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels – had single-digit Test caps.
“We have always seen it that way,” Erasmus said, adding: “We have been building and giving guys chances at certain stages.
“We are very happy with the performances they had.”
A glance at the two Bok backlines – from Auckland and Wellington – reveals the ‘truth’ the Bok coach was talking about.
Cobus Reinach (35-year-old, 43 Test caps), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (23, 12), Damian Willemse (27, 42), Canan Moodie (22, 17), Cheslin Kolbe (31, 43) and Aphelele Fassi (27, 14) have been around for a while.
The outlier in the Bok backline in Wellington was wing Ethan Hooker, just 22 and in his second Test.
On the bench, the Boks had Manie Libbok (28, 21, Grant Williams (29, 22) and André Esterhuizen (31, 22).
The Auckland backline had a starting age (average) of 26, with 434 caps at an average of 62 Test caps.
Reinach, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Hooker, starters in Wellington, played off the bench at Eden Park.
The Bok boss also pointed to the non-playing squad, players supposedly dropped, as a vital component to the success in the Cake Tin.
“They helped prepare them for the All Blacks,” Erasmus said.
“They played against them in Auckland, and at one stage they [the non-playing squad] were really giving us shots.
“Those guys put up their hands and showed they can play on the international stage.
“The trust from the older guys who did not play [Handré Pollard, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Willie le Roux] to prepare the younger guys [Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie and Aphelele Fassi] for this game.
“New Zealand played with eight guys who had less than 10 caps and that was our reality going into this game.”
(WATCH as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus debunks the myth that he sent a ‘young’ backline into battle with the All Blacks…..)
Captain Siya Kolisi echoed similar sentiments, saying the coach told them to ‘fire shots’ and not worry too much about making mistakes.
“What our coaching staff is so good at is the freedom they give the backs,” Kolisi said.
“Coach [Rassie Erasmus] was willing to back the guys who have not played a lot.
“Also, the guys who didn’t play, the pictures they showed us, they became the opposition.
“That is what keeps us so tight as a team.
“All the guys who didn’t play, the effort they put in, helps us a lot.”
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