RASSIE ERASMUS’ LATEST ploy with his bench was to have just two front row players on it, both of them props.
The replacement hooker was actually in the starting XV against Italy last weekend, with number eight Marco van Staden covering the starting hooker Johan Grobbelaar.
Very much a back row by trade, Van Staden has previously played at hooker for the Boks in a game of the 2023 World Cup.
It was, Erasmus admitted, a “planned risk.” As it transpired, Grobbelaar played the full 80 minutes on Saturday in Turin, but the decision underlined South Africa’s penchant for creative thinking. They are innovators.
Sharks midfielder André Esterhuizen, who was previously with Harlequins, has been reinvented as a back row/centre hybrid for the Boks this year, once again giving them an unorthodox look to their bench.
As their original 6/2 ‘Bomb Squad’ in 2019 and then the 7/1 bench split they unveiled in 2023 showed, Erasmus and his coaching staff are good at thinking outside the box. It helps when they have so many good players to choose from.
Whatever about the make-up of their matchday 23s, the Boks are a brilliant rugby team. Erasmus’ men can play in a few different ways, with Kiwi attack specialist Tony Brown having added more strings to their bow since joining in 2024, while the likes of Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery are clever coaches.
Their brute strength remains a superpower, of course, but there is real mental quality in their group, as underlined again in the last couple of weeks when they’ve had players permanently red-carded against France and Italy but still won. The Boks seem to love the challenge of things like that going against them.
Ireland have won four of the last five meetings with South Africa and the Boks haven’t won in Dublin since 2012. So there is a score to settle.
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Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus. Andrew Fosker / INPHO
Andrew Fosker / INPHO / INPHO
“The best in the world,” said Andy Farrell of the Boks after his own side’s six-try win over Australia on Saturday.
“Everyone’s talking about them and the type of rugby that they’re playing, a rich vein of form, and rightly so. They’ve played some brilliant stuff.
“I think it’s their energy and enthusiasm, which is probably driven from a couple of points of difference; one being the defence as in linespeed, one being the breakdown, and the other being the set-piece. They get their energy from all of those bits because they do them really well.
“They know their own DNA but they’re able to add a few tricks as well with the type of personnel they have in their armoury.
“It’s a fantastic way to finish off our autumn. The last game at the Aviva. We’ll certainly enjoy this win [against Australia] but the lads will be back on task and they’ll know what it means to everyone in Irish rugby as well, so we’ll look forward to that.”
Given the challenge ahead, Farrell was delighted his Ireland team went up a few gears against the Wallabies at a lively Aviva Stadium on Saturday night.
While he believes they will need to be considerably better against the Springboks, the Ireland boss was happy with the improved performance.
“No, I don’t think it will necessarily be enough, but I like the way that we got out of the way of ourselves,” said Farrell.
The Ireland boss said he never doubted that his team could produce a slicker performance after the mixed displays in defeat to New Zealand and during victory over Japan.
Ireland have many doubters who have spelt out doom and gloom for this team, but Farrell totally disagrees.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“We’re a very good side, there’s no doubt about that,” said Farrell. “You could put in all sorts of reasons of why the first performance or the second performance or whatever, but that’s never been in doubt, in my mind anyway.”
That said, Farrell himself had been notably critical of Ireland’s performances against New Zealand and Japan, although he insisted he wasn’t trying to be negative.
“I’m just trying to be honest because I want to make sure that we understand what it is that we’re chasing,” said Farrell.
“If we can’t be honest with each other, what’s the point?”
He said his players relish opportunities to play against the likes of South Africa and New Zealand, with Farrell hailing this weekend’s game as “a fantastic opportunity.”
After the strong atmosphere on Saturday, when kick-off was 8.10pm, Ireland are looking forward to another evening kick-off time of 5.40pm in Dublin this weekend.
Ireland know they need to go up a few gears, with back row Jack Conan pointing out that the physical challenge remains immense against the Boks.
“If you’re shy in the contacts with them, they’re going to have a field day,” said Conan.
“So, it’s something we’ll talk about as the week goes on and how good they are in set-piece, lineout and scrum. You see how they’ve gone in the last two weeks getting two red cards and it’s not bothered them at all.
“They’re still playing in the right areas of the pitch, they’re still pretty pragmatic in the way they play. They’ll kick the ball.
“You look at against France, they played in the right areas of the pitch, squeezed France, made them play a different style of rugby and they were kind of chasing it even though they had 15 men.
“So, we’ll have to be squeaky clean in that area. Our contacts are going to have to be really good. Our discipline is going to have to be way better than it was today but it’s a great opportunity, isn’t it?”
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'We're a very good side' - Farrell relishes Ireland's shot at the Boks
RASSIE ERASMUS’ LATEST ploy with his bench was to have just two front row players on it, both of them props.
The replacement hooker was actually in the starting XV against Italy last weekend, with number eight Marco van Staden covering the starting hooker Johan Grobbelaar.
Very much a back row by trade, Van Staden has previously played at hooker for the Boks in a game of the 2023 World Cup.
It was, Erasmus admitted, a “planned risk.” As it transpired, Grobbelaar played the full 80 minutes on Saturday in Turin, but the decision underlined South Africa’s penchant for creative thinking. They are innovators.
Sharks midfielder André Esterhuizen, who was previously with Harlequins, has been reinvented as a back row/centre hybrid for the Boks this year, once again giving them an unorthodox look to their bench.
As their original 6/2 ‘Bomb Squad’ in 2019 and then the 7/1 bench split they unveiled in 2023 showed, Erasmus and his coaching staff are good at thinking outside the box. It helps when they have so many good players to choose from.
Whatever about the make-up of their matchday 23s, the Boks are a brilliant rugby team. Erasmus’ men can play in a few different ways, with Kiwi attack specialist Tony Brown having added more strings to their bow since joining in 2024, while the likes of Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery are clever coaches.
Their brute strength remains a superpower, of course, but there is real mental quality in their group, as underlined again in the last couple of weeks when they’ve had players permanently red-carded against France and Italy but still won. The Boks seem to love the challenge of things like that going against them.
Ireland have won four of the last five meetings with South Africa and the Boks haven’t won in Dublin since 2012. So there is a score to settle.
“The best in the world,” said Andy Farrell of the Boks after his own side’s six-try win over Australia on Saturday.
“Everyone’s talking about them and the type of rugby that they’re playing, a rich vein of form, and rightly so. They’ve played some brilliant stuff.
“I think it’s their energy and enthusiasm, which is probably driven from a couple of points of difference; one being the defence as in linespeed, one being the breakdown, and the other being the set-piece. They get their energy from all of those bits because they do them really well.
“They know their own DNA but they’re able to add a few tricks as well with the type of personnel they have in their armoury.
“It’s a fantastic way to finish off our autumn. The last game at the Aviva. We’ll certainly enjoy this win [against Australia] but the lads will be back on task and they’ll know what it means to everyone in Irish rugby as well, so we’ll look forward to that.”
Given the challenge ahead, Farrell was delighted his Ireland team went up a few gears against the Wallabies at a lively Aviva Stadium on Saturday night.
While he believes they will need to be considerably better against the Springboks, the Ireland boss was happy with the improved performance.
“No, I don’t think it will necessarily be enough, but I like the way that we got out of the way of ourselves,” said Farrell.
The Ireland boss said he never doubted that his team could produce a slicker performance after the mixed displays in defeat to New Zealand and during victory over Japan.
Ireland have many doubters who have spelt out doom and gloom for this team, but Farrell totally disagrees.
“We’re a very good side, there’s no doubt about that,” said Farrell. “You could put in all sorts of reasons of why the first performance or the second performance or whatever, but that’s never been in doubt, in my mind anyway.”
That said, Farrell himself had been notably critical of Ireland’s performances against New Zealand and Japan, although he insisted he wasn’t trying to be negative.
“I’m just trying to be honest because I want to make sure that we understand what it is that we’re chasing,” said Farrell.
“If we can’t be honest with each other, what’s the point?”
He said his players relish opportunities to play against the likes of South Africa and New Zealand, with Farrell hailing this weekend’s game as “a fantastic opportunity.”
After the strong atmosphere on Saturday, when kick-off was 8.10pm, Ireland are looking forward to another evening kick-off time of 5.40pm in Dublin this weekend.
Ireland know they need to go up a few gears, with back row Jack Conan pointing out that the physical challenge remains immense against the Boks.
“If you’re shy in the contacts with them, they’re going to have a field day,” said Conan.
“So, it’s something we’ll talk about as the week goes on and how good they are in set-piece, lineout and scrum. You see how they’ve gone in the last two weeks getting two red cards and it’s not bothered them at all.
“They’re still playing in the right areas of the pitch, they’re still pretty pragmatic in the way they play. They’ll kick the ball.
“You look at against France, they played in the right areas of the pitch, squeezed France, made them play a different style of rugby and they were kind of chasing it even though they had 15 men.
“So, we’ll have to be squeaky clean in that area. Our contacts are going to have to be really good. Our discipline is going to have to be way better than it was today but it’s a great opportunity, isn’t it?”
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