Rassie Erasmus Identifies What Went Wrong As Springboks Suffer Another Defeat Against Wallabies
- Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus took personal responsibility after South Africa fell to a bruising defeat against the Wallabies in Perth
- The Springboks trailed by 25 points at one stage before mounting a late comeback that fell short at Optus Stadium in Australia
- The South African rugby coach acknowledged the team's performance was below standard despite the closeness of the final scoreline
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Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has publicly accepted responsibility for South Africa's 42-38 loss to Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, refusing to deflect blame onto external factors despite a series of disruptions during the match.
South Africa went into the half-time break trailing 24-17 before Australia pulled further ahead to 42-17 by the 65th minute. The Springboks staged a notable fightback in the closing stages, bringing the margin down to four points, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
Erasmus takes the blame
Speaking after the final whistle, Erasmus was direct in his assessment.
"For us, we lost in a Springbok jersey against Australia, and with all the disruptions, we have nobody else to blame but ourselves for the result," he said.
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He acknowledged minor technical issues during the game but was clear they played no part in the outcome.
"I know the technology failed a bit, the clock kept running and didn't stop at times for example, but that didn't influence how we played. We controlled that. We didn't play well enough tonight to beat a stronger team."
No excuses despite 25-point deficit
Erasmus also addressed the magnitude of the deficit South Africa had to claw back from, stating it was a reflection of the team's own shortcomings.
"When you're 25 points behind, there's nobody else to blame but yourself. We rolled the dice a bit, and some guys haven't played a lot together in a long time, but it's not an excuse."
He added that the team had entered the match with a clear strategy, and the result ultimately came down to execution.
"We picked the team, and we had a game plan, and I thought we had a chance at the end, but the better team won on the night. It's sad to lose, but it's not because we've been together too long. It's because we didn't play well enough."
Esterhuizen echoed the coach's sentiments, with neither man offering excuses for the defeat.
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Source: Briefly News
