‘No disrespect’ to Wallabies: Rassie Erasmus previews All Blacks ‘challenge’

Following two wins over Australia, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus is anticipating “a much tougher challenge” against New Zealand when the two sides go head-to-head for the first time since last year’s Rugby World Cup Final.

World champions South Africa couldn’t have asked for a much better start in their pursuit of the prestigious Rugby Championship crown after they claimed two convincing wins over Australia in Brisbane and Perth.

The Springboks broke their long-lasting Brisbane hoodoo with a commanding 33-7 win over the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium last week before recording another 30-12 demolition of the same foe at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday evening.

Following the opening two rounds of the competition, the Springboks will return home to South Africa sitting in first place on The Rugby Championship ladder. Those two bonus points wins were quite stunning but it doesn’t get any easier for them moving forward.

New Zealand will soon fly to South Africa for two blockbuster Tests at Ellis Park and DHL Stadium. These two great rivals last met at Stade de France in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final which the Springboks won 12-11 against a 14-man All Blacks outfit.

Coach Rassie Erasmus explained on Saturday that with the Wallabies currently going through a rebuilding phase under Joe Schmidt, the more-settled All Blacks – who have a relatively new head coach of their own – will be harder to beat.

“I’m going to say it’s another step up just because Joe Schmidt is new in the role here and he has to find his feet and get to know all the players and the way Australian rugby works. It takes some time,” Erasmus told reporters on Saturday evening.

“With that answer, I say yes, it will be a much tougher challenge with no disrespect (to) Australia just because Australia is where they currently are in their rebuilding phase.

“The All Blacks at the moment people (have) started to write them off. I saw last week, (that) a lot of people had a lot of stuff to say and then (the All Blacks) knuckled down and said, ‘Let’s show you guys today’ and then they put proper points against Argentina.

“We play them at altitude and then in Cape Town where they are probably a bit comfortable, a lot of them enjoy it there. So, a massive, almost ‘mini-series’ for us against the All Blacks. So, yes, we’re in for a tough three weeks.”

But the first meeting between the Springboks and All Blacks is still just under two weeks away. All four Rugby Championship sides have a bye week coming up which gives them an opportunity to reflect, grow and prepare for the various challenges that await.

For South Africa, Erasmus and the other coaches can take plenty of confidence from the two wins from vastly different starting sides. The Boks made 10 changes to their starting side for the Perth Test, with many branding them a ‘B team.’

Backrower Elrigh Louw laughed it off in an interview with RugbyPass about four days out from the Test by explaining how excited they were to show everyone “what a B team can do.” It was a golden opportunity for a new crop of players to make their mark in Springbok green.

It was a bit “nerve-wracking” during the first quarter of the Test as the goal-kicking boot of Noah Lolesio kept the Wallabies in the fight. But, in very wet conditions on the west coast of Australia, the Springboks showed their class as they pulled away.

Three second-half tries for South Africa, including a double from replacement hooker Malcolm Marx, ensured the visitors would claim back-to-back wins in Australia for the first time in quite some time.

“No, it was nervous, it was nervous for me till minute 70. We were on our own goal line and conceded two penalties in a row… but then Eben (Etzebeth) and the guys buckled down and said not another penalty,” Erasmus reflected.

“So no, not just the first half was nerve-wracking, the whole game was for me.

“It was close at half-time, I also thought if those tries were scored where Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) Just had to catch the ball, then it could have been a further lead.

“Then we always had security on the bench and that’s why we sometimes pick teams like that.”