Rassie on the All Black Loss

Rassie Erasmus described the Springboks' loss to the All Blacks as deeply disappointing, blaming a "really bad" 15 minutes at the start of the match for shaking the team's belief and ultimately costing them the game. He acknowledged that conceding 14 points early on put South Africa on the back foot and made their task nearly impossible against the hosts at Eden Park. Erasmus also noted that the Springboks “won” the last hour 17-10, but the damage had already been done by the early mistakes and missed tackles.

Rassie's Statements on Key Moments

1. Erasmus highlighted two easy tries conceded early, criticising specific defensive errors and saying, “Malcolm played well, but he misses that tackle, then I think Willie will accept, and all of us can accept, that was a weird thing he tried to do with that tackle – I’m not sure what he was trying to do. The guy just got up and scored the try”.
2. He expressed visible frustration in the coach’s box, particularly when a crucial error handed the All Blacks momentum leading to their match-winning try in the 64th minute, reacting with anger and “smashing his hands on the table”.
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On Team Performance and Response

1. Erasmus credited the replacements and the bench for bringing renewed energy and justified the choice of a 5-3 split on the bench, saying that "the guys we brought on added energy and some fight”.
2. He refused to blame the wet conditions, noting that both teams played in the same weather but the All Blacks handled the ball better.

Looking Ahead and Promising Changes

1. Erasmus admitted the team would "take plenty of heat" for the defeat and that South African fans were likely “gatvol” (fed up) with the performance, but emphasized an opportunity to fix things in the rematch in Wellington next weekend.
2. He promised that there would be lineup changes for the next fixture, stating, “Before this game, we thought we’d go with more or less the same team next week, but we’ll definitely make a few changes”.
3. On improving set-pieces, Erasmus pointed out lineout issues yet again and said both teams needed to fix this area, not attributing blame to just one player.
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Summary Table: Rassie Erasmus Key Comments

Erasmus’s analysis focused on poor execution in critical periods, defensive lapses, and the need for adjustments before the next match, vowing to address both tactical and physical errors.

SB

I foresee some players seeing their arseholes without a mirror, The five I will include in that category are Willie, Pollard, Williams. Marx and Kolisi and amongst those 5 there may be permanent.casualties.

Willie has probably played his last test.

Marx's throw-ins are a joke. If he does not understand the lineout calls with every lock he has played with this year, we need someone who does.

Pollard is mostly a pole kicker, especially when he combines with Delande. He has become a Morne Steyn-type of player in his later years.

Kolisi is gradually fading out. He might not make the team next weekend, given that Wiese is now eligible.