‘We’d be stupid if we don’t respect them’: Bok coach Erasmus on All Blacks

There is a widely held belief among rugby fanatics that the balance of power has shifted towards the Springboks over the past two World Cup cycles, but don’t say that to Rassie Erasmus. 

SA have won the last two Webb Ellis trophies in Japan and France and have been largely consistent in Test matches during this period to disturb the dominance of powerhouse New Zealand. 

In their last meeting, the Springboks prevailed by a point in Saint-Denis with a nervy 12-11 to defend their World Cup crown in what was an epic, see-saw contest on a soggy Parisian evening. 

For a long time, New Zealand were the dominant force in their decorated history and often considered one of the best sports team in the world, but they have been knocked off their perch. 

As the Boks prepare to host the All Blacks in their eagerly anticipated Rugby Championship clash at Ellis Park on Saturday, the wily Erasmus warned it will be dangerous for anyone to undermine New Zealand. 

“We’d be stupid if we don’t respect them,” he said. 

“We’d be bad coaches, We’d be stupid players, We’d be an arrogant nation and we could quickly be put back to our place at number six or even seven where we started.

“They are a team that beat England at home, they lost to Argentina and we also lost to Argentina, we beat them only by point in the World Cup final. I just want people to understand that Scott Robertson is a fantastic coach and New Zealand is a rugby-mad country. 

“If you lose Richie Mo'unga, most of the Crusades players are not there, you have a few injuries, trying someone at ten and you have your captain out for the first two Test matches, you meet Argentina on the wrong day, that doesn't make Scott a bad coach. 

“They came back to beat Argentina the next weekend and this week they are here and we played all our Test matches against each other, clashes between Lions, Cats and Free State against Crusaders with Scott. 

“I have had a few beers with him [Scott] many times in my life, he will know the stadium very well having won Super Rugby at Ellis Park. They have too much class all round, a coaching system that is too good and they have good structures in New Zealand not to get it right.” 

Erasmus said they have many vastly experienced players who know a lot about big occasions. 

“They are not a settled team and by that I am not saying Jordie or Beauden Barrett are not settled or TJ Perenara has not played any Test matches. It's not like I will go out there and put my team out but we could do that against England in the World Cup. 

“As we analyse them, their profiles show a lot of this, or this guy is dangerous, but then it goes about the moment you switch off. Damian McKenzie will do something and when Perenara breaks with a tap kick, it’s experience.

“He [Perenara] calms things down, he knows when to do certain things and they have a pack of forwards which in a World Cup final we found it difficult to move around on the field and they tried to move us around. 

“In our last 10 matches, there was one draw, four losses for them and five wins for us and it has been two, four, one point separating us. It is going to be a really tight affair and people must come and watch.”