Testing players is more important than winning streaks, says Bok coach Rassie

Blooding new talent and testing players under pressure is more important than personal goals and jealously guarding a winning streak, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says.

Erasmus has included four uncapped players in his starting lineup for Saturday’s third round Nations Championship clash against Wales at Kings Park in Durban (kickoff 5.40pm).

The debutants given an opportunity to strut their stuff in a green and gold jersey are rising stars Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Jaco Williams (wing), Ruben van Heerden (lock) and Carlu Sadie (prop).

With the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, Erasmus wants to assess his young players against top-tier nations to see how they react in pressure-cooker situations.

Erasmus fielded a youthful lineup comprising 12 players with fewer than 10 caps when the Boks side pulled off a 42-28 win over the Scots in the second round of the Nations Championship at Loftus Versveld last week.

“Sometimes we must put our personal goals to one side, like how many games you’ve won in a row or even putting winning this championship on the line so that you can know who can do what.

“If you don’t make those calls, you will never know. When do you do it?

“Are you always going to do it when you play a team that’s not a top-tier nation? That’s how you find out [by playing against top-tier teams].

“It’s tense; there’s pressure. There’s a crowd that’s bought tickets because they want to watch this game — they don’t even know the players so well because they’re not settled Test match players.

“So, for those guys to feel the crowd going quiet when it’s not going so well. That’s the only way we can learn.

“I’m not saying this to make our performance [against Scotland] sound better — and I don’t want to upset the English — but we thought they were going to be tougher than England.

“The way they smashed Argentina, the way they beat England, the way they beat France and were playing just four months ago in the Six Nations, we knew it was going to be a really tough game.”

Utility back Quan Horn said calming words of advice from seasoned Springbok pivot Handre Pollard helped him settle in the red-hot cauldron of Loftus last Saturday.

The versatile star was thrown into the deep end when the Boks had to fight hard before they were able to emerge with a win over a feisty Scotland outfit.

Everyone knows the job they need to do first, and if you’re on the front foot, everyone can express themselves.

—  Utility back Quan Horn

“We chatted during the week about which duties I needed to cover, and I was ready for the call,” Horn said.

“I was just grateful again for the opportunity to represent the Springboks. If I can cover flyhalf and fullback for the Springboks, I think that’s good for the team.

“Handre made me feel very comfortable. He made everything so easy in the first half, and then I could step up and do my best.”

Though competition for places in the Bok starting lineup is fierce, Horn said there was great respect among the players.

“Everyone knows the job they need to do first, and if you’re on the front foot, everyone can express themselves,” he said.

“There were plans during the week in case a player got injured. I was prepared to cover the position I was meant to cover.”

The Herald