Rassie Erasmus Hails Springboks Star After Crucial Rugby Championship Win Against Australia

• Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has shared his thoughts after the South African rugby national team got deserved revenge against the Wallabies of Australia this weekend
• The Boks boss also singles out the standout performer for his team against the Wallabies in the second round of their Rugby Championship in Cape Town
• The 57-year-old also highlighted some of the changes he noticed in his team compared to last weekend's loss against the same side

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has hailed one of his key players after a flawless kicking performance that powered the Springboks to victory against Australia in the Rugby Championship in Cape Town on Saturday, August 23, 2025.

The win came a week after the Springboks threw away a 22-0 lead to lose 38-22 at Ellis Park Stadium.

Erasmus’s Springboks side battled with injuries before the game, with captain Siya Kolisi also missing the match.

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Erasmus hails Pollard for his performance

After the match, Erasmus showered praise on 'cool-head' Handré Pollard for his performance against the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday, 23 August 2025.

The Boks boss noted that Australia failed to convert their own kicks, which gave the Springboks an advantage when they took their kicks well.

"Handre's composure was exactly what we needed. He nailed all his kicks," Erasmus said. "While O’Connor missed two, Handré was flawless. He played a crucial role."

Despite acknowledging areas that still need improvement, Erasmus expressed satisfaction with the Springboks' overall performance. He wasn’t overly concerned that South Africa had “lost” the second half for the second weekend running.

“The most important thing for us was to win and deny the Wallabies a bonus point,” Erasmus added.

“We’re back on track now. We’ve picked up valuable log points, and we’re satisfied with the result. If I had to rate the team based on this match and last week, I’d give them a six or seven out of 10. It wasn’t flawless, but the main goal was to get back on the horse.”

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The 57-year-old South African coach added that the Springboks played a more controlled, balanced game compared to what he saw last weekend.

“We didn’t create nearly as many chances as we did last Saturday, probably only about half, but we were able to grind out the result,” he concluded.

“I expected a tight contest, and that’s exactly what it was. Still, we came away with the win and eight more points than they did, which is satisfying.”

Boks stand-in captain, Kriel, shows off his R2.2m new ride

Briefly News earlier reported that the Springboks stand-in captain, Jesse Kriel, has flaunted his new, expensive car on social media, which is said to be worth R2.2 million.

The 31-year-old is known to be a lover of expensive rides, and it's not the first time he's shown them off to his fans and followers on social media.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News