Rassie Erasmus Makes Strong Point When Reacting to Springboks’ World Cup Draw
- Rassie Erasmus has opened up on his views after the Springboks learned the opponents they will face in the pool stages of the 2027 World Cup in Australia
- The Springboks' head coach pointed out why his team should be prepared mentally and physically, despite being one of the favourites going into the competition
- The South African rugby coach's thoughts gathered different opinions from social media users online, as they also reacted to the World Cup draw
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has shared his thoughts after South Africa got to know their opponents for the pool stages of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, scheduled to take place in Australia.
Source: Getty Images
Drawn with Italy, Georgia, and Romania for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, the Springboks will chase a record-breaking third consecutive championship after winning the tournament in Japan (2019) and France (2023).
The Springboks have previously met every team in their pool at past Rugby World Cups: Romania in the 1995 and 1999 editions, Georgia in 2003, and Italy in the 2019 edition in Japan. In a recent meeting at the end of the tour, the Boks played against the Azzurri in Turin and won.
Australia, the host nation, will compete in Pool A alongside Hong Kong, China, Chile, and one of the tournament favourites, New Zealand. In Pool C, Argentina are grouped with Fiji, Spain, and Canada.
Erasmus reacts to Springboks' World Cup draw
Erasmus expressed satisfaction with the pool draw, noting that the team is steadily putting the building blocks in place as they aim for a possible third consecutive Rugby World Cup title.
The South African rugby coach said the Springboks are pleased with the group they’ve been placed in, but emphasised that every World Cup opponent plays with passion and a strong desire to represent their nation with pride. He stressed that the tournament has produced surprises in the past, so the team will need to be mentally and physically prepared for every match.
He also pointed out that, although Italy are ranked 10th in the world, they demonstrated their capabilities earlier in the season, even if the scorelines did not fully reflect their performances.
Erasmus added that Georgia and Romania are both extremely physical and passionate teams the Boks have faced before, and they understand how tough those opponents can be if given space and opportunities to play to their potential.
Source: Getty Images
With the tournament expanding from 20 to 24 teams and the schedule growing to 52 matches, the competition will now include six pools instead of four. The winners of Pools A, B, C, and D will advance to face the four highest-ranked teams that finish third, while the top sides in Pools E and F will face the runners-up from Pools B and D. Meanwhile, the second-placed teams in Pools A and C will take on the runners-up from Pools E and F in the Round of 16.
Here is what social media users are saying about Erasmus's comments on the World Cup draw, and why they need to be well-prepared for the competition despite being one of the favourites.
Guava Fait commented:
"They're all gunning for us, know our game plan and are preparing their game in accordance with our past games... This will be a defining World Cup for us."
Norman Sander shared:
"Ja Rassie, it is very likely though that we and the Kiwis will, more than likely actually, compete in the Quarter finals, where one of us WILL then go out."
Lerato Goge-Pettersson wrote:
"They think t,ey know what we know. We don't fold in the face of challenge...they'll keep trying to test us, but time and time again we keep showing them...They don't know what we know."
Nkanyiso Mlotshwa said:
"We’ve actually got a good balance in our group. Playing Italy and Georgia leading into the Round of 16 is probably the best we could have hoped for… They will test us and ensure that our players get a good hit out before the knockouts… Other teams have it way too easy in the pool stages, meaning there is potential they become unstuck when they go up against a half-decent team."
Lesley DW added:
"It’s a pity that New Zealand and Australia are in the same pool. We in the global South need to push as much as we can to come out on top until the finals."
Erasmus reacts to Etzebeth's red card
Briefly News earlier reported that Rassie Erasmus shared his views on Etzebeth's red card in the Springboks' emphatic victory over Wales in Cardiff.
The Springboks head coach shared his view concerning the justification of the red card without holding back.
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Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
