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The Rugby Championship

SPRINGBOKS: Rassie Erasmus wants Springboks to play Los Pumas on their own terms

The World Champions enjoyed a bright start in their visit to South America last week, running out to a 17-0 lead after some clinical rugby.

Rassie Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks during the 2024 Castle Lager Incoming Series team announcement press conference for South Africa at the Beverly Hills Hotel in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal on 9 July 2024 ©
Image: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix

The World Champions enjoyed a bright start in their visit to South America last week, running out to a 17-0 lead after some clinical rugby.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

But the hosts rallied to make a proper contest, competing hard at the breakdown and showing the danger of their counter-attack to beat the Boks.

This week, Erasmus is all too aware of the threat the Los Pumas pose with the ball in hand and wants his players to play on their own terms. Aiding this strategy is the return of many fresh legs that were rested last week, including captain Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe.

“We are hoping that our chances are much better with six fresh guys on this side who didn’t play and also Eben [Etzebeth] who didn’t play a full match there as well as Siya who would be a little fresh,” the Bok boss told the press on Tuesday.

“And they are a team that likes it fast and loose. They have a lot of Sevens players so they don’t play with a lot of structure that they break you down with. They have a coach who knows how he wants to coach them and a team that knows how they want to play.

“So we will try and plan on our terms this weekend and we didn’t totally manage that last weekend.

“They will have a plan, and the plan will be to run us off our feet. Our plan is to win, we are going out to win, not try and stop them.”

Mbonambi, who is straight back into the starting line-up for the Mbombela finale, echoed his coach’s sentiments.

“I truly believe we have more answers than questions from that game,” said the hooker.

“On Monday, we had a review and a proper reality check to make sure we stay in our reality and we don’t drift too far off about thinking of other ways of winning the game.

“We know we have to go out there and take the game to Argentina.”

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