Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus nearly unleashed his so-called 'Nuke Squad' this Saturday against Ireland but decided to stick with the crew that had been sweating it out in training all week. The temptation came after Franco Mostert's red card was overturned, leaving Erasmus tossing and turning until Thursday morning. "Until this morning I must say, waking up and I’m thinking, shouldn’t we go 7-1?" Erasmus confessed, but training chaos put a damper on that risky strategy. "It just messed up the training sessions. If you bracket this guy with that guy, it becomes a mess."
Even though Mostert was cleared to play, Erasmus chose not to disrupt the week's rhythm. “We decided to keep it clean and pick the guys who trained the whole week,” he explained, a nod to keeping team dynamics smooth. As for the opposition, Erasmus shed some light on why the Boks have found it tough to secure a win in Dublin since 2012. The Irish team's knack for maul defense and their breakdown expertise are significant hurdles. “They’re not easy to maul [against]. Stopping a maul is not always brute force – sometimes it’s technically swinging around and outsmarting guys,” he noted.
"It’s not always the big poach; it’s Doris doing really good technical things within the law."
Erasmus didn't hold back in his praise for the Irish system, noting its effectiveness in honing player skills and game intelligence. “The way the Irish system works is really great. Technically a guy always gets better here. They study a lot – they’ve got mind-gym meetings, they know exactly what lineout call you’ll make and how to counter it.”
Reflecting on recent tight matches, including last year's heartbreaker at Kings Park, Erasmus recalled, “It’s not like we were totally outplayed. Look at Durban, the drop goal in the last minute. Look at the World Cup pool match – the last maul. It’s always close.” Whether a win in Dublin would define their season, Erasmus put performance above all. “If we play at our best and Ireland is just better on the day, what can you say? But yes, we’d love to win – we haven’t done it since I’ve been involved.”
Erasmus also brushed off any personal stakes in the game despite his history with Munster. “Hell, if it’s about me, then we’re talking about the wrong things. The Irish taught me a lot. It’s not personal – it’s respect.”
Clearly, as the Springboks gear up for the clash, it’s all about sticking to the game plan with the players who’ve put in the groundwork, respecting the prowess of the Irish, and maybe, just maybe, changing their luck in Dublin.
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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus nearly unleashed his so-called 'Nuke Squad' this Saturday against Ireland but decided to stick with the crew that had been sweating it out in training all week. The temptation came after Franco Mostert's red card was overturned, leaving Erasmus tossing and turning until Thursday morning. "Until this morning I must say, waking up and I’m thinking, shouldn’t we go 7-1?" Erasmus confessed, but training chaos put a damper on that risky strategy. "It just messed up the training sessions. If you bracket this guy with that guy, it becomes a mess."
Even though Mostert was cleared to play, Erasmus chose not to disrupt the week's rhythm. “We decided to keep it clean and pick the guys who trained the whole week,” he explained, a nod to keeping team dynamics smooth. As for the opposition, Erasmus shed some light on why the Boks have found it tough to secure a win in Dublin since 2012. The Irish team's knack for maul defense and their breakdown expertise are significant hurdles. “They’re not easy to maul [against]. Stopping a maul is not always brute force – sometimes it’s technically swinging around and outsmarting guys,” he noted.
"It’s not always the big poach; it’s Doris doing really good technical things within the law."
Erasmus didn't hold back in his praise for the Irish system, noting its effectiveness in honing player skills and game intelligence. “The way the Irish system works is really great. Technically a guy always gets better here. They study a lot – they’ve got mind-gym meetings, they know exactly what lineout call you’ll make and how to counter it.”
Reflecting on recent tight matches, including last year's heartbreaker at Kings Park, Erasmus recalled, “It’s not like we were totally outplayed. Look at Durban, the drop goal in the last minute. Look at the World Cup pool match – the last maul. It’s always close.” Whether a win in Dublin would define their season, Erasmus put performance above all. “If we play at our best and Ireland is just better on the day, what can you say? But yes, we’d love to win – we haven’t done it since I’ve been involved.”
Erasmus also brushed off any personal stakes in the game despite his history with Munster. “Hell, if it’s about me, then we’re talking about the wrong things. The Irish taught me a lot. It’s not personal – it’s respect.”
Clearly, as the Springboks gear up for the clash, it’s all about sticking to the game plan with the players who’ve put in the groundwork, respecting the prowess of the Irish, and maybe, just maybe, changing their luck in Dublin.