Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus isn't buying into the hype that Ireland's cascade of yellow cards, climaxing in a 20-minute red, was the headline of the chaotic Test in Dublin. With Ireland temporarily whittled down to 12 players, Erasmus swiftly sidelined any idea that his team rode on the coat-tails of Irish woes. Instead, he highlighted the turbulence his squad faced leading up to the game.
“We had got a red card in the previous game and a concussion called with a mouthguard that didn’t ping,” Erasmus remarked, shedding light on the challenges faced by Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse. The preparation week was a judicial rollercoaster, with hearings for Mostert and Lood de Jager consuming large chunks of time. “The whole week was crazy for us,” he added.
“The assistant said ‘always illegal’. When does ‘always illegal’ start and end? But I thought the decision itself was right.”
The scrappy, frenzied atmosphere of the night was palpable, with Erasmus describing the scenario as “hectic” and “difficult to manage.” Keeping track of who was in play was a strategy game in itself. “It was difficult sometimes to understand who’s off and who’s on and who comes back and who’s got a HIA and who’s injured. But that’s Test match rugby at the highest level and you have to understand and manage those kinds of things,” he elaborated.
Despite the numerical advantage, Erasmus was quick to dismiss any notion that the Springboks had an easy ride. “Yes, we were dominant in the scrums. But all over the field? No. Ireland were physical, they matched us, and they were dominant in the air and at the breakdown. Even with 12 men they defended unbelievably well,” he observed.
Erasmus conceded that while his team controlled most of the game, they struggled to clinch it decisively when opportunities arose within the 22. “I thought we were dominant for most parts of the game, but just couldn’t kill it when we were inside the 22,” he admitted, reflecting on the missed chances to seal the deal.
2,193 posts
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus isn't buying into the hype that Ireland's cascade of yellow cards, climaxing in a 20-minute red, was the headline of the chaotic Test in Dublin. With Ireland temporarily whittled down to 12 players, Erasmus swiftly sidelined any idea that his team rode on the coat-tails of Irish woes. Instead, he highlighted the turbulence his squad faced leading up to the game.
“We had got a red card in the previous game and a concussion called with a mouthguard that didn’t ping,” Erasmus remarked, shedding light on the challenges faced by Franco Mostert and Kurt-Lee Arendse. The preparation week was a judicial rollercoaster, with hearings for Mostert and Lood de Jager consuming large chunks of time. “The whole week was crazy for us,” he added.
“The assistant said ‘always illegal’. When does ‘always illegal’ start and end? But I thought the decision itself was right.”
The scrappy, frenzied atmosphere of the night was palpable, with Erasmus describing the scenario as “hectic” and “difficult to manage.” Keeping track of who was in play was a strategy game in itself. “It was difficult sometimes to understand who’s off and who’s on and who comes back and who’s got a HIA and who’s injured. But that’s Test match rugby at the highest level and you have to understand and manage those kinds of things,” he elaborated.
Despite the numerical advantage, Erasmus was quick to dismiss any notion that the Springboks had an easy ride. “Yes, we were dominant in the scrums. But all over the field? No. Ireland were physical, they matched us, and they were dominant in the air and at the breakdown. Even with 12 men they defended unbelievably well,” he observed.
Erasmus conceded that while his team controlled most of the game, they struggled to clinch it decisively when opportunities arose within the 22. “I thought we were dominant for most parts of the game, but just couldn’t kill it when we were inside the 22,” he admitted, reflecting on the missed chances to seal the deal.
Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images