Adapt or die is Rassie’s mantra as Boks go all out for series win against Ireland

Damian de Allende of South Africa during the first Test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 6 July 2024. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

9 Jul 2024

The Boks will continue to adapt their game and push boundaries even if this upsets some critics.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has emphasised that his side will continue to push boundaries and adapt to stay ahead of the chasing pack even in the face of criticism.

Erasmus has always been a coach who looks for the edge, be it in the fine print in the lawbook or clever out-of-the-box thinking.

But he has tempered his natural artistry with a pragmatic streak, which is why the Springboks under his guidance have been innovative while moving even closer to their intrinsic DNA.

rassie boks ireland kriel Springbok Jesse Kriel in action with Robbie Henshaw of Ireland during the first Test Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 6 July 2024. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Erasmus has doubled down on set-piece strength, fitness, defence and kicking, essentially all the traits that many opponents use as examples of how boring the Boks are. Yet, incongruously, the Boks have been innovators.

Criticism

The Bomb Squad is not a new concept, but it caused a mild flutter on social media when Erasmus introduced all six forwards on the bench to the game at the 50-minute mark during the first Test against Ireland at Loftus on Saturday.

One critic, former Scotland coach Matt Williams, laughably declared the move was discriminatory towards backline players in addition to calling it dangerous, but there is no evidence to back up that claim.

rassie boks ireland mbonambi Bongi Mbonambi of South Africa in action during the first Test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 6 July 2024. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

It certainly was one take, and it wasn’t long before social media was churning out the hashtag #backslivesmatter to lampoon Williams’ gripe.

In fact, the six forwards are almost passé now. Ireland have done it, as has pretty much every major rugby team.

And just as teams start to emulate the Boks, Erasmus has now turned to former All Black Tony Brown to take South Africa’s attack to another level, as another example of constant evolution.

“We do hear things and we see things. I’m on social media and I read things; there’s some things you really take to heart and try to understand,” said Erasmus.

“I try to stay in touch with South Africa and what our people feel, how our people react and try to be honest to the media without giving too much away.

“To be honest with you, I’ve learnt that if you know the laws and the protocols and you don’t go outside the protocols — and I’ve been slapped over my wrist for not doing that — learning and adapting, I really don’t see how that would be [dangerous].

“Our reality is … listen, man, we could send them [the Bomb Squad] on one by one, but all six go at the same time ... I don’t know if that’s dangerous. I mean, Ireland definitely also plays with a six/two split.

rassie boks ireland mbonambi Damian de Allende of South Africa during the first Test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on 6 July 2024. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

“I don’t think the Irish team feel that way, I don’t think [Ireland coach] Andy Farrell feels that way. It’s one individual who said that.

“I think we’re definitely a team that’s trying new things and it’s the time to try new things. We didn’t have the opportunity in 2020 as I’ve said many times [because the Boks didn’t play because of Covid].

“And I’m not just talking about change on attack. I mean also trying it in defence, scrums and lineouts and breakdowns. There are many different things that we’re trying, while staying on top of the law changes and the way World Rugby wants the game to go.

“If we don’t adapt, we’ll die a slow death.”

Ownership

It’s not just what is seen that makes the Boks’ evolution interesting and exciting, it’s also what happens behind the scenes.

A huge example of that is how much ownership players take now. When Erasmus and former Bok coach Jacques Nienaber went to coach Munster in Ireland, they were impressed by how much work players routinely put into analysis.

It’s something they brought back to the Boks in 2018. It shows that Erasmus and Nienaber are not only innovators, they are also happy to follow if there is something worth following.

And seeing Irish players being so accountable for their positions and tactical and technical analysis was something worth following.

“I do think the [Springbok] team is becoming a little bit more mature, and players are taking more responsibility, like the Irish players were, which I experienced when I was there,” Erasmus said.

“There’s a bit of a cultural difference in Ireland, where players come in, learn profiles, study opposition and it took us some time to get this squad.

“We started in 2018 and here we are six years later, we have slowly brought that culture of ownership of those things.”

While talking about change and innovation, Erasmus has regularly stated that it will come with mistakes and some setbacks.

That is, of course, inevitable. But, happily, there seems to be a more ruthless approach to their overall record now.

By picking an unchanged team for the second Test against Ireland after winning the first Test 27-20, Erasmus was sending the message that winning momentum supersedes experimentation in this instance.

Two years ago, the Boks thumped the All Blacks in Mbombela and then made some curious changes for the second match at Ellis Park a week later. Those changes had a direct impact on a poorer performance that allowed the All Blacks to get off the canvas and win.

Perhaps Erasmus has reached the stage in his career where legacy is part of the thinking and that making the Boks dominant between World Cups is almost as important as winning the Webb Ellis Cup.

Ireland were the last major Test-playing nation that the Boks had not beaten in the Erasmus era. That was rectified at Loftus Versfeld last week, but it won’t feel like the job is fully done unless the Boks complete it at Kings Park and win the series 2-0.

The Boks are adapting all the time and it seems that even Erasmus is adapting by placing a short-term premium on key Test wins over the long-term gains.

That’s possible because the team has matured to a place where depth is at an all-time high and where there is a swathe of leaders and a group of players putting in the hard work on and off the field.

The Boks are now a high-performance unit in every sense of the phrase because they are constantly adapting. DM

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