Year-end struggles not World Cup indicator for Boks
Rabid South African fans may be baying for blood and demand instant success, but the national team’s coaching staff won’t be swayed by public opinion.
South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus believes some of the ‘growing pains’ experienced on the year-end tour will stand the team in good stead at the World Cup next year.
Addressing a media briefing on the eve of their face-off with Six Nations champions France, in Marseille on Saturday, the Springbok boss called for ‘balanced’ analyses of the team’s progress in a year when their winning rate is sitting at just 60 percent.
Last week’s 16-19 loss to the world’s top-ranked team, Ireland, in Dublin caused a particularly spectacular meltdown and resulted in demands for drastic action.
A composed Erasmus, instead, painted a picture of ‘valuable’ lessons learnt.
“We understand that anything can happen the year ahead of a World Cup,” Erasmus told @rugby365com, when asked how much value should be placed on the results of year-end matches.
He pointed to the cancellation of two United Rugby Championship games the weekend before the team went into camp for the year-end tour, robbing key players like captain Siyamthanda Kolisi and lock Eben Etzebeth of valuable game time.
Despite his own team being a touch underdone for the tour opener in Dublin, Erasmus admitted that world No.1 Ireland is ‘peaking’ at the right time, similar to what happened in 2018.
However, win or lose in Marseille on Saturday, the Bok boss felt that there is plenty to be gained from these November tours.
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“We know that things we are trying to do – on and off the field – have relevance to next year, but is not the determining factor of how things will pan out in the World Cup itself.”
He added that winning remains a priority, but ‘experimenting’ with different scenarios is also key in the build-up to the World Cup.
“A lot of things that look bad now, they give us answers.
“Some things work fantastically and some things are a total flop.
“You don’t want that [to happen] in the World Cup next year.
“Sometimes you see that works or that don’t work.
“That will be really valuable at the World Cup.
“You may not always get the answers, but you learn what does not work.
“That is sometimes more helpful than getting the solution.”
Bok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi said physicality and sticking to their structures would be vital against France in Marseille on Saturday.
“I think the physicality is going to be the biggest aspect this weekend,” the Bok skipper said.
“Both teams are physical, and France, in particular, knows what they are good at, and they do those things well.
“They also know how to impose their plan on opposition teams.
“We’ll certainly try to match that. The scrums and line-outs are going to be important aspects of this game, so it is going to be a tough match.”
Kolisi said this match was not only important for the Boks to test themselves, but also to experience playing in Marseille before the World Cup next year.
“Playing against France on their home patch a year before the World Cup is good for us all because everyone will get a taste of what it will be like next year,” said Kolisi.
“It’s going to be a massive game with the fourth-ranked team playing against the second-ranked team in the world, and as the Springboks, we want to win every game and make the country proud.
“We may have lost last week’s Test and the SA ‘A’ game, but there is pressure every week, and we need to adapt to it.”
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