Death of former Boks cast a pall over record-breaking win
REACTION: An “emotional” South Africa coach, Rassie Erasmus, said Saturday the death of two former Springboks this week cast a shadow over their record-breaking win over New Zealand.
Erasmus said his team’s preparation took a turn late in the week as he and the players learned Bevin Fortuin and Jan Boland Coetzee had both died.
Soon after the full-time whistle blew on South Africa’s 43-10 thrashing of the All Blacks, Springboks back Damian Willemse paid homage to his “very good friend” Fortuin.
Former outside back Fortuin played two Tests, in 2006 and 2007, before forging a lengthy domestic coaching career. He died on Thursday, aged 46.
Respected former flank Coetzee, who played six Tests in the 1970s, died on Friday aged 80.
“For me, it was pretty emotional,” Erasmus said.
“It was not a nice day and a half, but we did not as a team, we didn’t even talk about that.
“Because there are so many people in my era, which I played with, that are not here anymore, that would have loved to be part of what the guys did today.”
Erasmus listed four other players from the 1995 World Cup-winning Springboks who have died at a relatively young age – Joost van der Westhuizen, James Small, Ruben Kruger and Hannes Strydom – saying they had all influenced his rugby career and coaching.
He told his players not to dwell on the news before Saturday’s Rugby Championship match kicked off.
A dominant South Africa inflicted the biggest loss on New Zealand in their Test history.
