VIDEO: Rassie willing to take more risks for another RWC title

SPOTLIGHT: Rassie Erasmus says he will always pick winning a World Cup over a higher win percentage between tournaments.

The Springboks won a record fourth RWC title in France last year and they also became just the second team after New Zealand to win back-to-back titles.

However, the Boks haven’t been the most consistent in non-World Cup years. Leading up to 2023’s success, the Boks had a 61.5 percent success rate in 2022 and 2021.

The Springboks won 58 percent of their matches under Erasmus leading up to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

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When asked if he wants to improve the Boks’ record ahead of World Cups, Erasmus said: “I am not sure to be honest with you.”

He added: “It’s about building a squad, trialling guys and making sure that we always improve on squad depth and always bring about change. I’m talking about changing the way we do things, trying to stay cutting edge.

“By doing that sometimes you have to try things and we certainly did lose a couple of Test matches in the last couple of years between World Cups.

“We are trying things so that we know the answers by the time we get to the World Cup.

“It would be wonderful as a head coach if we do better between World Cups. Then again, do you want to peak and have all the answers at a World Cup?

“We had two runs now at doing it. In 2020, Covid did bugger us around a little bit, but we got a clean slate this next four years and we are three months in the first year already.”

High risk, high reward

Taking risks between World Cup tournaments has paid off the Boks and Erasmus is set to continue the trend.

“I would rather win the World Cup than sit at 88 or 82 [win percentage].

“I would love to get that winning percentage up, but we surely have to be brave and take chances with youngsters and get those things right.”

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