Rassie Erasmus Hits Back at All Blacks’ Claims About Springboks Style of Play
- Rassie Erasmus personally fronted Monday's press conference ahead of the first Test against the All Blacks, breaking from the usual routine
- Erasmus responded to claims from New Zealand that the Springboks deliberately slow the game down, citing five matches this season
- The Springbok director of rugby also flagged the breakdown as a potential decisive factor when the two sides meet on Saturday
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Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus made a rare personal appearance at Monday's pre-Test press conference in a deliberate opening move ahead of Saturday's first Test against the All Blacks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
Erasmus took his seat alongside laws adviser Jaco Peyper, departing from the standard practice of sending an assistant coach and a player to handle early-week media duties. His counterpart Dave Rennie and Saturday's referee Matthew Carling were both drawn into the conversation before a ball has been kicked.
New referee rules force issues into the open
A major point raised by Erasmus was the recent World Rugby directive banning private one-on-one meetings between coaches and match officials. Under the new arrangement, both head coaches must be present whenever a referee meeting takes place, preventing teams from discussing tactical issues privately with officials.
Erasmus said the new policy had made pre-match communication extremely difficult, as information that coaches previously shared discreetly with referees must now effectively be discussed in front of the opposition.
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He explained that coaches would normally use referee meetings to flag specific situations, such as a possible midfield maul, and remind officials to be aware of the relevant laws. However, he said the new requirement meant such conversations could no longer take place privately because the opposing coach would also have to attend.
According to Erasmus, the restriction also helped explain why teams were increasingly taking their concerns to the media instead of raising them directly with match officials. He said that if one team believed its opponent was deliberately slowing down the game, it could no longer discuss the issue privately with the referee without the other coach being present, leaving the media as a more natural platform for airing those grievances.
Erasmus pushes back on slow-play claims
Erasmus directly addressed claims in New Zealand that the Springboks intentionally slow the pace of their matches. He pointed out that throughout their five games this season, the team had not received any feedback suggesting they were deliberately reducing the tempo.
He also hinted that the All Blacks may have based their assessment of South Africa on pre-season matches rather than the intensity of Test rugby.
Erasmus highlighted the breakdown battle as a key factor that could determine Saturday’s result. He expects the Springboks to face an intense physical challenge at the breakdown, an area where New Zealand has shown strength and one that South African players have also encountered regularly at franchise level.
The opening Test of the series is scheduled for Saturday, with both coaching teams having publicly outlined their views ahead of the highly anticipated clash.
Johan Ackermann warns All Blacks
Briefly News also reported that Bulls coach Johan Ackermann had identified a potential weakness in the All Blacks after their emphatic 50–19 victory at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 15 August 2026.
Ackermann believes New Zealand may not enjoy the same freedom when they face a more experienced and match-ready Springboks side at Ellis Park on Saturday, 22 August.
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Source: Briefly News
