Rassie’s data reveals who can go the distance
World Cup winner Schalk Brits says Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is not afraid to make the big calls and will rely heavily on data analytics to pick players who can perform.
Speaking to CoinPoker.com, Brits touched on a the sensitive issue of which Bok veterans – most of whom are two-time World Cup winners – will likely make it to the 2027 RWC in Australia.
“Siya (Kolisi) and Eben (Etzebeth) are pretty much the same age. Looking at Siya’s performance, to be fair, he could still play the World Cup after that!
“But the reality is Rassie will look at the data – exactly how many meters you run, how many tackles you make. It is very stats-driven, and he will tell you if your performance level isn’t there.”
READ: ‘Rassie’s playing chess, while others play checkers’
But Brits says Erasmus is not afraid of going with old heads if they can still do the job.
“He is not scared of age at all. I mean, I was 38 and a half when he picked me to play in 2019”.
“His viewpoint is simply: if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. It applies to the upper end of the scale too. It makes no difference to him if you are 19 or 38; if you are good enough, he picks you.”
Brits says the Bok mentor is not afraid of making the big calls, even if he gets these wrong because it helps the team and players develop.
BRITS: What Rassie can achieve with Boks is scary
“There is stats analysis regarding scoring just before halftime, just after halftime, and the crucial minutes within a game where there’s a “lull period,” he said. “They’ll do the analysis and determine the best time to make substitutions.
“But if a player is ‘off’ on a particular day, he will literally take you off the pitch after 20 minutes. As a player, you know that as well,” he continued. “If your performance on the day is not good enough – he won’t keep you on the pitch just because of the effect it might have on the player.
“When I talk about entitlement or ego, you put that quickly in your pocket. He’ll look at your numbers, and if you’re not good enough, he’ll tell you by taking you off.”
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