There are members on site who does not rate Erasmus as an acceptable coach, but in the test esterday he had real problems to ovecome when De Jager were red-carded in the last two minutes of th e first half and could not bn replaced.
Lets put the matter in perspective, but in the first half the Springboks played stupid rugby to start off with. With all foifteen players on the field the Springboks was awarded four penalties, It was clear the French forwards were vulnrable.and somehow the Sprinbgboks decided on kicking at goal instead of making corner kicks. Two kicks at goal were successful . The French repetedly made corner kicks and in the second half only kicked one such penalties at goal. Whomsoever decided on those kicks as goal could have had disastrous conequences for the Sprinboks. givrn the fact that they had to go through the Second half with only 14 players on the field.
Tha brings me to Esterhuzen - during the past few tests Erasmus started using him as a loosie and he did well in that capacity. So with De Jager gone - Erasmus needed a strong forward who can help the Sprin gboks to have 8 frwards on the field and as a result he had to sacrfice. two players and get Esterhuizen on the field to ensure that most of the timme there were8 forwards on the field and played 6 in the backline. Only when the French had throw-ins in line-outs and scrums Esterhuizen was lining up in the backline to help in defense. Oherwise he was up front.ss a forward. Tha way he decided to replace both Kolisi and De Allende to reach that situation. Te other player that was ultra-shit was libbok who had two kics charge down by the French,
Kolisi was not doing well in the first half anyway - while De Allende/s defense was solid and the kicking game reign supreme. In the second half after Kolisi left the field the nature of the game changed - especially in the last 20 minutes of t the game Du Toit took over the captaincy and the palying of Jake-ball was abandoned, Another problm was that Ezebeth also underperformed in the frst half and had to be replaced. The players who did well at lock in the second half were Nortje and Snyman. With Kolsi gone Du Toit decided no more jake-ball and the penalties were all resulting in corner kicks and in that case Esterhuizen was in the line-outs where he helped in scoring a try from one of the mauls resulting from a line-out. All other kicks were corner kicks and from one such maul Williams scored his try giving the Springboks an 8 point lead, That was the end of the French effort and it led in the end to scoring of the try by Sacha.
So which playe were really under water in he match. Top of the list was obviously De Jager - but in the frst half after the French corner kick he stole a ball from a French throw-in and the result was a relieving kck by Sacha - so he did somehinggood on he field. Amongs he forwads Etzebeth was nowhere to be seen and he did not compete in line-out jumping. Koisi's conmtribution was near to zero as well. I can remember man cases where players reaching the top position -lie happened to Kolisi yesterday they messed up the game by substandard performances and Kolisi was no differnet from that. ,
Amongst the backs both wings failed in defense and Willemse knocked on two many balls kicked a him. Libbok had a total dsiaster at flyhalf with two of his kicks charged down by the French and resulting in a messy situatuation. Kie was so-so at best. On the whole the whoe issue was the player management showed that Easmus remained the top coach in World Rugby and he is bound to be the coach of the eyar this year.
Sacha remains he best flyhalf in world rugby and that was proven again yesterday where he was MOM. I think he has a very good chance of being the World player of he year.
So where to in the remaing two matches? I think most players invovled in t he game yesterday would be rested in the test against Italy this coming week - and the am to play Ireland will be the top rating playes in the team. As it stands the winning of the tests against Italy and Ireland will leve the S prin gboks in the no 1 position in the world and hat would be that they have a much easier part in the RWC in 2027. n the play-offs where hey would be headn g the A-Pool, in the quarteinals they would play the second reanked team in Group D and hereafter the real problems will be playing in the winners of the eam that win in the D Pool and the A-pool no 2 team.
So winning of the next two matches is of ultra-importance for the Springboks when it comes to the Pool they will play in the RWC in 2027. As it stands at present - the Springboks will play. As it stands at present the pools wod be as foolwss:-
Pool A - South Africa - Scotland
Pool B - All Blacks - Australia
Pool C - Ireland - Argentiana
Pool D - England . - France ,
So wins in the next two matches for SA would be essential. I gess the team ag ainst Wales woud be mostly second level players. With Moodie, Hooker, Willemse as inside center and probably Kolbe at full back. Pollard and I would think that one of the standby playes will also be called up to play at lock.
The ehroes in the French test will play against Ireland. As far as I am concerned the loosies against Ireland should be Wiese, Du Toit and Esterhuizen - with Kolisi on the bench. He is like Pollard, Etzzbeth and ollard on t he way out of th e squad. On the dame day as the Wales test the S tormers is playing Munster in the URC and we may s ee a situation that the Stormers players in the Springbok team will be released to help the Stormers remaining on the top of the URC log.
I rate Matthee as a quality flyhalf and he may be played against Munster - but it would benefoit the Stormers if all t hree Stormers players in the squad to be released to play for the Stormers on 28 November 2025. That test against Wales is a not really all that important anyway. On the same day as the Wales test the Bulls will play the Sharks in the URC match.