Rassie Erasmus revealed that the inspiration for the Springboks’ unique maul tactic against Italy came from watching an Under-14 B team from Paul Roos Gymnasium in South Africa. The Springboks used this innovative ploy—lifting a player in open play to receive a pass from the scrum-half, effectively creating a maul outside of a traditional lineout—to devastating effect, scoring two tries from the move in their 45-0 win over Italy.
Erasmus explained:
“We actually saw it done by a school side, Paul Roos, where Willie was. With the maul in open play, you get all the benefits like in a lineout maul when you support the player jumping.”
He acknowledged the element of surprise was key, but also admitted that now the tactic has been seen, opponents will be more prepared for it in future matches:
“It worked twice for us (leading to tries), but people saw it, so it will be done for the next couple of games.”
This approach allowed the Springboks to exploit the laws creatively, forming a maul in phase play and gaining the same advantages as a lineout maul, which directly led to tries for Canan Moodie and Malcolm Marx. Erasmus emphasized that the Springboks are always experimenting with new ideas—some succeed, others don’t, but innovation remains central to their strategy.