WHILE SOUTH AFRICA have shown an ability to bounce back from pool stage defeats at previous World Cups, former Springbok international Bob Skinstad expects ‘conjuring trickster’ Rassie Erasmus and the Leinster-bound Jacques Nienaber to go all out for victory against Ireland at Stade de France on Saturday.
Back at the 2015 World Cup, South Africa recovered from a shock loss to Japan at the beginning of the tournament to eventually claim third spot overall. Four years later, they made history as the first side to secure the Webb Ellis Cup after losing a pool stage game – defending champions New Zealand getting the better of them in Yokohama with 10 points to spare (23-13).
“I think Erasmus and Nienaber will want to concentrate on winning [this weekend]. They’ll want to make sure that they can find ways to win, but they do know that they have the caveat of having made it through if they potentially don’t have a win in that game. I think they’ll plan for a result that is positive, but they’ll know that they’ve got a backdoor if you like,” Skinstad said of a game that could potentially determine who tops Pool B at the World Cup.
Operating under the dual roles of Director of Rugby and head coach for that 2019 RWC success, Erasmus has since focused on his DoR duties with Nienaber filling the latter position until the end of this World Cup cycle. As someone who has known him for more than two decades, Skinstad is ideally-placed to speak about the highly-respected – and often controversial – Erasmus.
“Rassie is a great guy. He’s a fantastic character, he has always been one. I think he’s a difficult and hardy competitor, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Despite what he puts out there in the media. He’s all about the team and achievements. I think my Rassie is the one that you see. The conjuring trickster with a steely reserve that wants to win.”
In the same month (July 2016) that Erasmus first started working on these shores as Munster’s Director of Rugby, his fellow South African Jean Kleyn was added to their senior squad after securing an early release from his contract with Western Province. The towering lock went on to play in Ireland’s pool stage wins over Russia and Samoa at the 2019 World Cup after qualifying to represent them under World Rugby’s residency rule, but subsequently found himself out of the reckoning under Andy Farrell.
However, having gone more than three years without an Irish appearance (that Samoan game on 12 October, 2019 being his most recent outing in green) he was able to switch allegiances back to his country of birth thanks to a new eligibility rule that was first introduced in 2022.
After making four competitive appearances in advance of the tournament, Kleyn played the full 80 minutes in the Springboks’ facile 76-0 triumph over Romania in Bordeaux last Sunday. In addition to endorsing a rule that also sees former All Blacks such as Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa being a part of the Tongan international set-up, Skinstad believes South Africa have recruited a very capable player in the form of Kleyn.
“I was just looking at the Tonga back line the other night and seeing guys that I’ve seen out there doing the Haka and now playing for Tonga, and good on them. The rules are the rules.
“I think he [Kleyn] played quite well actually [against Romania]. He’s fitting in and certainly I think South Africa will be delighted to have a guy of his quality. I’m not sure that he is going to be a starting lock in a team that boasts so many, but maybe with the injury to Eben [Etzebeth] etc he’ll have a chance. Certainly a fantastic rugby player.”
Despite being a part of South Africa’s World Cup winning squad in 2007, Skinstad could also have represented Ireland at international level as his mother hails from Carlingford in Co. Louth.
“Only a couple of streets away from the Kearney family. Rob didn’t believe me. I had to get my Mum to send me a picture of her birth certificate!” Skinstad said of his Irish roots.
Whereas his native country came into this tournament as defending champions, his ancestral homeland has occupied top spot in the world rankings since July of last year. He has been impressed with the way Ireland have gone about their business thus far in convincing victories against Romania and Tonga, but feels this weekend’s fixture will tell a lot about their World Cup prospects.
“I think Ireland have been clinical, as expected. They weren’t even close to being challenged in those games. 82-8 against Romania, it was a training run set-up for them. They’re probably very comfortable with the way they’re playing. They’ve been able to get Johnny [Sexton] back onto the field and Tonga, I think, were a potential banana skin and are for other teams,” Skinstad added.
“They’ve been so in the past and Ireland dispatched them quite easily. I think they’ll be really pleased with that and pleased with their start. Unfortunately, this World Cup is going to be one where we’re not going to know a lot until the big teams have played the big teams, but we’ve certainly seen that they’re purring gently. The engine is purring along nicely.”
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