Rassie Erasmus Sends Strong Warning to Springboks Stars Despite Defeating All Blacks in Cape Town
- The Springboks defeated New Zealand 33-26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town to level the Castle Double Malt series 1-1
- Cheslin Kolbe delivered a flawless kicking display with four penalty goals and three conversions in the victory
- Rassie Erasmus issued a pointed warning ahead of the third and deciding Test in Johannesburg on Saturday
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The Springboks edged New Zealand 33-26 at DHL Stadium on Saturday to level the Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series at 1-1, but head coach Rassie Erasmus made clear the performance left room for concern ahead of the decider in Johannesburg.
The Boks led 24-14 at halftime but were outscored four tries to three across the full 80 minutes. Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and captain Siya Kolisi crossed the line for South Africa's three tries, with Cheslin Kolbe converting all three and adding four penalty goals to contribute 19 points with the boot in a near-perfect kicking display.
**Erasmus Flags Defensive Concerns**
Despite the win, Erasmus was measured in his post-match assessment, pointing to specific tactical vulnerabilities his side would need to address before next weekend's decider.
"They are a brilliant team, and there are definitely things we must fix," he said. "I don't want to be technical about the edge defence, but they have really smart players, and they are two classes up from what they were last year."
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The All Blacks' ability to move the ball wide and execute offloads under pressure gave the Springbok defence problems throughout the match. Erasmus acknowledged that New Zealand's evolution as a team had caught his attention.
"The one thing we immediately agreed in the changing room is that this is a really good New Zealand team. This week we did a lot of things much better, and I can tell you now that this is not the same New Zealand team we played last year," he said.
**Series Decider Set for Johannesburg**
Erasmus added that the margin of victory could easily have been narrower, a detail he clearly did not want his squad to overlook heading into the third Test.
"They attacked with width, they got offloads away, they're really well coached and they've got athletes who can beat you on a dime. A couple of more phases at the end and it could have been a draw," he said.
With the series locked at one win apiece, South Africa and New Zealand will meet in Johannesburg on Saturday to settle the contest.
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Source: Briefly News
