Rassie Erasmus said the Boks do not see the Nations Championship as a competition, but more as a series of Test matches.
Damian Willemse scores a try against Ireland during last season’s end-of-year tour. Picture: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
The Springboks will not chase bonus points, but rather seek wins by whatever means necessary in the Nations Championship, said head coach Rassie Erasmus.
The inaugural tournament features two groups: one made of six northern hemisphere teams and the other of six southern hemisphere teams, with each side playing matches against teams from the opposing hemisphere.
Bonus points for scoring four or more tries and for losing by seven points or fewer will come into play as the pools are ranked ahead of a finals weekend in November.
At that stage, the rankings are locked, and only the top team from each hemisphere will have the chance to become the overall winner.
On the finals weekend, teams then face the side from the opposite hemisphere that finished in the same position, determining not only the overall champion but also the winning hemisphere.
Every point on offer
The Springboks face England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa in three consecutive weekends starting next Saturday.
Then, after a break for a one-off Test against Argentina and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, they return to Nations Championship action against Italy, France and Ireland in Europe before the finals weekend in Twickenham, all in November.
With top European teams expected to capitalise against Fiji and Japan, and top southern teams to do so against Wales and Italy, there is motivation to take every point on offer.
Springboks take a different approach
However, Erasmus said, “We just want to try win every match, and build squad depth and character and a playing style everyone is used to.
“So when we get to the [2027] World Cup, there will be a lot of players who can play the style we want.”
He said other competing nations would also likely stay clear of permutations.
“I don’t think we really see it as a competition. We see it as a Test match and then the next Test match [and so on]. We want to beat England and then Scotland, and then Wales. I think they want to do the same with us.”
Erasmus said Test rugby didn’t involve chasing bonus points.
“Even if we win by just one point and we play the rugby we wanted to, which makes our fans and ourselves proud. We don’t look at log points and that stuff. We’ve never done that and I don’t think we’ll change to that.”
