Ground-out win better than pretty loss
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says his side showed character in their 30-22 victory against the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Boks bounced back after their shock 38-22 defeat at Ellis Park a week earlier to retain the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and move from No 3 to No 2 in the World Rugby rankings.
Flyhalf Handré Pollard was flawless off the tee, landing all six of his kicks, while lock Eben Etzebeth produced a destructive impact off the bench that included a crucial second-half try.
“I don’t think we underestimated Australia at all,” Erasmus said. “They’re extremely difficult to beat – the Lions also struggled against them. If [James] O’Connor had landed those two penalties late on, it would’ve been a one-score game, so it was never comfortable.
“When you’ve won eight in a row and then lose badly, you do lose a bit of belief. Tonight wasn’t perfect – maybe a six or seven out of 10 – but sometimes it’s just about getting back on the horse. Under the pressure we were under this weekend, I’d give the team a seven.
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“We definitely played a more balanced game today,” Erasmus added. “Last week we overplayed and ran into trouble. Tonight we were more composed. Even so, there were handling errors on the tryline, and we left chances out there.
“We try to please our supporters by winning and playing a good brand. Sometimes we get it wrong, like last weekend, but in games like this we find a way. I’d rather grind out a win than lose playing pretty rugby.”
On Etzebeth’s role, Erasmus said: “It’s tough to say if coming off the bench is a new role for Eben. He brings so much to the lineout, and he’s one of the fittest guys in the squad – he can go 80 at the same pace. He made a massive impact tonight.
“Ruan [Nortjé] and Lood [de Jager] also did well, and Marco [van Staden] was his usual energetic self.
“The bench balance is something we’ll look at, but those guys gave us what we wanted.”
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Captain Jesse Kriel said the players took inspiration from the build-up to the match, which included a community training session in Cape Town.
“This week was really special for the squad. It gave us a reality check about why we do this and where our energy comes from. The crowd lifted us at crucial times today.
“When we go overseas, we won’t have that same support, but we know how much rugby means to South Africans. We remind each other of that all the time, and the messages and videos from home really give us energy.”
The Boks now face the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on 6 September before meeting them again in Wellington a week later.
Erasmus added that the lessons from the Joburg defeat and Cape Town recovery will be vital going into that double-header.
“We won’t just say we learned from last weekend and then repeat the same mistakes. We’ll carry that with us.
“Under pressure today the players stood up, and that builds character for the big moments we’ll face again.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images