Rassie: Boks ‘far from perfect’ but in a good place after 4-game experiments

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the overall picture was far from perfect, but the experiments and tricks conducted in the squads and on the field during the first four matches of the season highlighted much potential.

The Springboks featured close to 50 players, including seven Test debutants, in these opening games. Within 22 days, the Springboks beat the Barbarians 54–7 in a non-Test, Italy 42–24 and 45–0 in two Tests, and then Georgia 55–10 in the latest Test match in Mbombela on Saturday.

Tricks and experiments galore

Fans did not wait long to see Erasmus continue his trademark innovation, as traditional centre André Esterhuizen packed down at flank in the opening game against the Barbarians. A ‘hybrid player‘, Esterhuizen played flank in attack and dropped to centre in defence.

Then, in the second Test against Italy, the Boks played a short kick-off to induce a scrum, and the midfield “fake lineout” maul from open play. The latter yielded greater results, after World Rugby deemed the former an intentional infringement.

The Springboks employed no tricks in the Georgia Test but named three uncapped players in the front row – an extreme rarity in its own right – and played Cobus Wiese at No 8 though he (just his second Test) had never played there in all his professional career.

Erasmus said after the 40-point thrashing that he was “fairly happy” with how the season had gone so far, building up to the Rugby Championship next month.

“The laws are the same for everybody. We want to adapt the quickest, faster than any other country. That’s what Jaco Peyper teaches us. If there’s a new law, we adapt to it,” Erasmus said, snapping his fingers.

Where Cobus Wiese fits into the Springboks

The Bok coach said they had blooded players to be three-deep in each position and tested them in various roles for cover.

“But if we chop and change teams we are building squad depth but lose rhythm. I am glad the guys could, in the last 25 minutes, get some rhythm into the game,” he said after the Georgia win.

“Cobus Wiese … we just want to make sure that if we have a guy like him on the bench he can cover seven and eight for us.

“We learned a lot from Cobus today. And I think he learned a lot from Test match rugby. He’s definitely not Jasper yet. I think there are definitely areas where a guy like Evan [Roos] still tops him. But it’s his first Test match that he starts at eight and I thought he was pretty solid.”

How the three Springbok debutants did against Georgia

On the three debutants (props Boan Venter and Neethling Fouché, and hooker Marnus van der Merwe), Erasmus said they had gained momentum in the scrums as the game went on, but made tactical errors in gameplay that were common to new players. These would be ironed out.

“They did well in the scrums but they had some errors in attack, being in the right places, cleanouts, ball carries and so on. We’ve given them 45, 46 minutes and we’ve seen enough. The scrums were solid enough and we can fix the general play stuff with them.”

Erasmus said it was a positive that the Boks won three games convincingly, tested combinations and tricks, and stayed cohesive on defence despite the new faces.