PARIS – As the Rugby World Cup semifinals approach, South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, emphasizes that they haven’t been swayed by external opinions about England’s performance, pointing out that statistics suggest Saturday’s match will be tightly contested.
Erasmus, who led the Springboks to a 32-12 victory over England in the 2019 World Cup, highlighted that England had an unblemished record in the current tournament, despite having faced somewhat less formidable opponents.
“Our reality is the truth, not the reality that people create outside our camp,” Erasmus stated in response to critiques of England’s performance.
“It will be a very tough test against a team that hasn’t lost a game and more or less conceded the same amount of tries and racked up the same amount of points.”
Erasmus acknowledged that the quarterfinals showcased more attacking rugby, with numerous tries scored, but he anticipates that as the tournament progresses, the semifinals will revert to a more traditional style with an emphasis on defense, scrums, mauls, and tactical kicking.
“I guess when we go into semifinals, again defense, scrum, mauls, tactical kicking,” Erasmus noted.
“As it gets closer to that final, and hopefully we are in that final if we get past England, those deep, mechanical fundamentals of the game will always start getting more and more important.”
Erasmus also reflected on the Springboks’ change in playing style.
He mentioned how they adapted their strategy to emphasize a more open, running style of rugby, leading to more tries scored by backs rather than forwards.
This shift, he suggested, has made it easier for referees to make clear decisions.
Erasmus also addressed his own behavior and noted the changes in his approach to the tournament.
Unlike previous World Cups, where he criticized referees and faced suspensions, he has been much more restrained on social media and in his interactions with officials.
According to Erasmus, this change reflects a move towards a style of play that relies on open and fluent running rugby.
“We had to adapt,” he explained.
“If you only rely on a certain aspect of the game, which is very tough for the referee to referee and he gets two (decisions) wrong but you are only relying on those three or four or five opportunities that you get, 50 percent of your opportunities are gone.”
The Rugby World Cup semifinals will be held this weekend, with South Africa facing England in a highly anticipated match.
As the Rugby World Cup semifinals draw near, the focus is on the clash between South Africa and England, with both sides confident of their capabilities and ready for a challenging match on the road to the championship.
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