With so little separating the teams the Bok boss wants his players to only think about winning.
Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks want to secure victory against Argentina at Kings Park on Saturday before turning their attention to a bonus point.
The Rugby Championship log is tight going into the final two rounds of the tournament. The Wallabies lead with 11 points, followed by the Boks and All Blacks on 10 each, with Los Pumas on nine. Depending on results, the title could be decided on bonus points.
Win first
Erasmus admitted he would “have a look” at the earlier clash between the All Blacks and Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday before the Boks take to the field in Durban.
“Even before the game against the All Blacks in Wellington, I was on the phone checking what was happening in Sydney with the Wallabies and the Pumas,” he explained. “That gave us extra motivation knowing that, thanks to the Pumas’ win, we were still in the mix for the Championship.
“It’s nice to know exactly what you have to do, but if you’re chasing the bonus point [for scoring three or more tries than the opposition] before you’ve won, it can come back to bite you.
“Two years ago, also against the Pumas in Durban, we needed to win by a big score to have a chance of winning the title. We started too fast and chased our own tail. We won’t make that mistake again.
“We must win first. With a four-point [log] win, we will still be in the mix no matter what happens in Auckland.”
Conditions in Durban
Erasmus also highlighted the local factors the Boks have prepared for.
“We’ve spoken a lot about the slippery conditions at Kings Park as it gets hotter and there’s more dew. We’ve trained in it all week, and the local boys remind us.
“You get used to it, but it will stifle the attack a bit, and we have to manage that. We’re going to play a proper Test match on Saturday – we’re not just going to come out and throw the ball around from the start.”
This story first appeared on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.
