Rassie Erasmus Explains F-bomb Outburst After Springboks Beat All Blacks in Cape Town

• Rassie Erasmus dropped a profanity during a post-match press conference after New Zealand coach Dave Rennie accused the Springboks of illegal scrum behaviour
• Erasmus pointed to six collapsed New Zealand scrums that were reset without scrutiny, questioning why only Springbok set pieces drew criticism
• The Springbok coach elaborated on his frustration on Monday, raising concerns about coaches using media to influence referees outside official protocols

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has explained the frustration that prompted an expletive during his post-match press conference following South Africa's victory over New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Springboks levelled the four-match series with the win. Still, Erasmus was noticeably agitated when journalists raised comments made by All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, who had suggested the Springboks were "walking around" during scrums — an implied accusation of illegal conduct at the set piece.

Erasmus rejected the claim emphatically

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Erasmus rejected suggestions that South Africa had deliberately started walking around at scrum time, questioning why the Springboks were suddenly being accused of the tactic when it had never previously been raised against them.

He also argued that there appeared to be an inconsistency in how the scrum collapses were being assessed, pointing out that New Zealand’s first six scrums had also collapsed and been reset without the same level of scrutiny.

The Springboks coach insisted that he would not remain silent over the accusations, suggesting that there was a deliberate effort to push that narrative.

Erasmus maintained that South Africa were not walking around the scrum and were instead driving straight through the middle, as they had always done.

Erasmus questions Rennie's use of media

On Monday, after naming his squad for the third Test, Erasmus gave a more measured explanation of why Rennie’s comments had frustrated him.

Erasmus clarified that his main concern was not Rennie having an opinion, but rather the way that opinion was presented as fact. He explained that there are established protocols for raising officiating concerns, including submitting up to five video clips through World Rugby’s officiating system for review.

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He also compared the situation with his own previous experiences, acknowledging that he had faced consequences for making similar comments publicly. Erasmus said that suggesting New Zealand were illegally clearing players at the breakdown and calling on referees to investigate would amount to addressing match officials through the media rather than following the appropriate process.

The Springboks coach further warned that public comments can create narratives that quickly gain momentum. He noted that once such claims are made, the media, podcasts and other platforms begin analysing the issue, often with input from people who may not have sufficient technical knowledge of scrums.

Despite the disagreement, Erasmus was careful to distinguish the professional issue from his personal relationship with Rennie. He reiterated that he did not want media comments to place additional pressure on referees and stressed that he remained friends with Rennie while understanding the reasons behind his comments.

Erasmus' warning adds context to ranking shock

Briefly News also reported that Rassie Erasmus had admitted the Springboks were feeling the pressure before the Ellis Park showdown with the All Blacks.

Erasmus said ahead of the Test that he was nervous, while describing New Zealand's approach as fast and intense. He also warned that the All Blacks wanted to move the ball quickly and challenge South Africa around the breakdown.

Source: Briefly News