Rassie’s message rings loud: SA still reigns supreme

Fake lineouts in the middle of the field, a player drafted back and forth between the scrum and the three-quarter line: this was a team with supreme confidence in its abilities.

Saturday’s Springbok 45-0 win over Italy was another message that the South African capture of the Webb Ellis Cup, rugby’s top accolade, was no fluke.

Not by mistake, either, was the trophy presented to the crowd before the game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.

Erasmus sends a message to world rugby heavyweights

Italy would always be outsiders to beat the Boks, but the victory had to be comprehensive, if for no other reasons than coach Rassie Erasmus wanted to send a message to the British Lions and the All Blacks, who both had emphatic wins over the weekend.

That message? If anyone else wants the Webb Ellis Cup, they’re going to have to come through us, and that won’t be easy…

The biggest worry for Bok opponents must be the unpredictability of Erasmus – and the fact he has a bigger pool of talent to draw from than at any time during South African rugby history.

Other challenges will be tougher, but let’s enjoy the feeling of staying on top of the world.

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